The Comprehension Series
by sodsta
Summary: Beware of raging hormones...
1. Chapter 1

The sound of congratulatory cheering and whooping grew louder and louder

The sound of congratulatory cheering and whooping grew louder and louder. Scorpius clenched his jaw and tried his best to ignore it as he leaned further forward in his chair and attempted to hide in his pile of notes and papers. One or two others – the few who hadn't actually been to watch Albus play – picked up their own books and made their way hastily to their respective dormitories. Scorpius would have gladly followed suit, had he not had a mountain of books and loose notes scattered all over the tabletop. Instead, he stayed exactly where he was, determined not to let whatever ruckus would soon ensue break his concentration. Their O.W.Ls were in just under _three months_, for goodness sake. Did nobody but himself have any sense of priority?

The gleeful shrieking that filled the room as the entrance swung open was near glass-shattering and Scorpius frowned as he dipped his head even lower behind his books.

"…and then Braddock dived for it – I didn't think you'd seen it, Al – but then you appeared out of nowhere and grabbed it just before he could catch up…"

"I know. I was there."

Scorpius could hear the smug amusement in Albus' voice and his fingers tightened reflexively on his quill. He liked Albus, they were good friends, but he couldn't _stand_ him in celebrity mode. And he was in celebrity mode a lot of the time, these days.

"It was fucking incredible, Al. How do you do it?" asked Jake Nott, and the usual simpering tone in his voice was enough to make Scorpius feel ill.

"Talent, really," replied Albus. Scorpius could just picture it, now – Albus in the middle, surrounded on all sides by star-struck fans and hangers-on. Like Nott. They all had Nott's face in his mind and he sneered at the image, dipping his quill into his silver inkwell.

"Can you teach me how to play like you one day?" came another voice, quite different from Nott's, but still just as awe-struck. It was sickening, really.

"Sure," Albus said. "After all the big matches are out of the way I'll give a couple of lessons." He was beaming; it was obvious from his voice.

The fawning went on, the girls obviously pawing, if Albus' "Hey ladies, please, I'm flattered but I'm spoken for," was anything to go by. He played celebrity so well, and he managed it by being charming instead of precocious. It was almost an art form in and of itself. After a while – too long a while in Scorpius' opinion – the noise steadily started to die down, until only one or two third years were left still lingering. Thankful for the peace and quiet, Scorpius returned to his study, turning the page in his copy of _Charms and Enchantments; Level Five_ and managing to read all of four words before a firm slap on the back made him yelp and nearly fall out of his seat.

"Alright, Scorp?"

Scorpius swallowed his heart back down and turned to Albus, frowning slightly over his small, rectangular spectacles. "Fine," he said, voice deadpan. "How was the game? We won again, I assume?"

"Of course." Albus grinned and pulled a chair over from the next table, slumping down into it lazily. "And there are only three more games after this one. Our only real competition is from Gryffindor, and I've been looking in on their practice sessions. Thomas and Mason are amazing Chasers, but their Seeker – Davies, I think it is – is weak. They might be able to get more goals past us, but I'm relying on Davies' weakness to…"

Scorpius wasn't even pretending to look interested, this time.

"Uh… sorry," said Albus with a sheepish grin. "I know Quidditch isn't really your thing."

"Not so much, no."

"Well… what are you doing?"

Scorpius turned back to his desk. "Studying."

"Studying? Scorp… OWLs are months away. You should be outside enjoying yourself. If not watching Quidditch, then at least… _something_."

"Al," replied Scorpius, not looking up from the desk. "You have something you're interested in – Quidditch - that's marvellous. Me? I'm interested in studying and quiet things, like reading and civilised chats with friends. I have no interest in going outside. Your idea of enjoying ones self probably involves some kind of sports activity, or fumbling drunkenly with Gryffindor girls behind a bush when you think no one's looking."

Albus laughed and Scorpius all but threw his quill down in irritation. He hated Quidditch… it always turned Albus into such a frustrating arsehole.

"Alright, Scorp… touché," he said, standing back up. Scorpius watched him out of the corner of his eye, pretending to be engrossed in his work, and hoping Albus wouldn't notice. "But maybe you need a Gryffindor girl of your own to fumble behind a bush with; might loosen you up a bit."

Scorpius' face burned red and he threw his quill down finally and stood up. "Look, Albus. I don't need anything to help me loosen up. I'm plenty loose as it is."

Albus laughed. "Yes, I can see that."

"Oh…" Scorpius scowled and just about managed to refrain from stamping his foot in annoyance. "I'm trying to study. I don't need distractions and people telling me what I should be doing with my spare time. At the end of the year, when I have straight Os, and you're standing there with your Quidditch trophy and a report card full of Ps and Ds, then we'll see who spent their time more productively."

Albus smiled affectionately and Scorpius stood his ground for a while, until he felt his resolve crumbling slightly. There was something much too charming about Al's smile, and Scorpius had always found it hard to stand his ground when confronted with it. The two boys were silent for a while, then Albus shrugged his shoulders slightly, still beaming. "Ok, you're right. You get back to studying and I'll go change. Maybe later when you're finished we can have a… quiet, civil chat?" he grinned, and Scorpius didn't miss the use of his own phrasing used against him. He nodded and sat back down, feeling his cheeks flush slightly.

"Yeah… that'll be nice."

Albus gave him a friendly wink and turned round, making his way up to their dorm to change. Scorpius watched him until he was out of sight, then shook himself. Bloody git had wasted precious time. He had five more chapters to read and takes notes on before he'd be finished for the night, then he could relax and listen to Albus prattle on about Quidditch and Joanna – the two major loves of his life.

He frowned unconsciously, mopping up the small splatters of ink from the table with a tissue, before picking up his quill and returning to his book.


	2. Chapter 2

Albus sat down on the large leather couch and leaned lazily against the arm

Albus sat down on the large leather couch and leaned lazily against the arm. He'd washed and changed out of his Quidditch uniform and was now waiting, very patiently, for Scorpius to finish studying. Heaven forbid he interrupt him again. He sat for a while, tracing the patterns carved around the fireplace with his eyes, before moving on to count the number green pebbles at the bottom of the empty fruit bowl. He bored of this after reaching twenty four, and sunk further into the couch, picking absent-mindedly at his nails until Scorpius finally closed his book and sat up. There was something not quite right about a person who studied that much, Albus thought; it wasn't normal. But then, be noted with a grin, Scorpius had never really been what anybody would call '_normal_'.

He watched as Scorpius pushed himself up from the table and collected his pile of books, balancing them unsteadily in his arms and attempting to use his chin to hold them in place - like a cartoon. In fact, if Albus didn't know Scorpius as well as he did, he'd swear he were doing it on purpose to be funny. It was sort of cute, really… in a moronic kind of way. With a snort, he got up and walked over to Scorpius, taking a couple of the books from under his chin to lighten the pile. "You know, you could have just asked me to help," he said, giving his friend a playful grin.

Scorpius just looked at him for a moment, then made his way up the stairs to their dormitory. Albus picked up the remaining items on the desk – inkwell, quill, parchment, scribbled-on page of the Daily Prophet – followed Scorpius up the stairs, and helped pack all the loose items back into Scorpius' trunk. "So," he said, flopping down on the other boy's bed. "What were you studying for, today, then? Potions? Transfiguration? Herbology?" He smirked. "_'How To Grow A Social Life_' by Professor P. Opular?"

"Charms, actually," replied Scorpius, obviously choosing to ignore the latter half of Albus' question. He was very good at that, Albus had noticed. He moved round to the side of the bed and sat down, kicking his shoes off and bringing his legs up to tuck them under himself, facing Albus. "And how much have you studied this term?"

"A little…" Albus lied. He didn't really do studying… it wasn't his thing. Not on his own, anyway. He caught Scorpius' disapproving look and shrugged. "Enough. I don't need to study that much, I generally do ok."

"You know I'm not helping you cheat for your O.W.Ls, don't you?"

Albus felt his stomach clench a little, but the smile remained fixed on his face. "That's fine, like I said, I don't need to study much. Anyway, I'm going to be too busy to study, what with Quidditch practice and matches and stuff." He paused, hoping this would be a good enough excuse. When he received no answer, however, he decided to change the subject. "Are you going to come to at least one of my games?" he asked. "You haven't been to any this term."

Scorpius leaned back against the headboard and smiled a little, the first smile Albus had seen on his face all day. "Will I ever hear the end of it if I don't?"

"Not a chance," Albus grinned, shaking his head. "And I don't even mean just from me. Joanna said she'd be having words if you didn't come to watch me play in at _least _the last game."

The smile vanished from Scorpius' face and he looked down at his knee, as if concentrating very hard on something. "Yeah, well… better make sure I come then, eh'?"

Albus frowned, noticing Scorpius' sudden change in body language, and was silent for a while. He turned around properly to mimic Scorpius' position, crossing his legs under him and propping his head up on both hands. "Can I ask you something?" he asked, watching Scorpius closely.

"Sure."

He didn't speak right away, but sat and watched the other boy's demeanour for a while. "Why don't you like Joanna?"

Scorpius' head shot up and he looked almost offended for a moment, then his expression softened and the small, Almost-Not-There smile, that Albus had come to know so well, appeared once again. "I don't dislike her, I just think she's a bit…" he trailed off and Albus leaned forward slightly.

"A bit what?" he pressed, trying to keep his voice level with Scorpius'. It wasn't an accusation, and he didn't want it to come across as one, but he couldn't deny that this issue had been bothering him for some time. It was clear Scorpius had some sort of issue with Joanna from the way he scowled, or frowned, or suddenly became very interested in staring intently at anything that wasn't Albus whenever she was mentioned.

Scorpius looked lost for words, he sat up straighter and squinted, his nose wrinkling and his reading glasses sliding down over the bridge a few centimetres. "She just strikes me as very… opinionated."

Albus tilted his head to one side. "Is that bad thing?" he asked, genuinely curious. If she was, it was something he'd never noticed, himself.

"No… no… it's just…" Scorpius paused, then exhaled heavily, his shoulders hunching slightly, and Albus could tell it was a defensive gesture. "I don't dislike her at all. She's very smart and funny and beautiful and I'm glad she makes you happy." He attempted another smile; Albus could tell it was forced, but he knew better than to push. Scorpius was not very good at expressing himself at the best of times. Albus chewed the inside of his lip for several moments, then nodded; now was clearly not the time for this type of conversation. He shuffled over and leaned back against one for the bed's four posts.

He watched Scorpius for a while, taking in the hunched, defensive posture and felt sorry for causing it. He cleared his throat and once again tried to steer the topic of conversation to something more fun.

"You know, you should come out to Hogsmeade with me some time." He said, cheerfully. "You never go to Hogsmeade."

"I've been too busy this year…"

"Well, make time. You can put some of your studying off for a while, can't you? Or do it the day before or something? Come on, Scorp… between Quidditch and you studying, I haven't been able to spend nearly enough time with you this term. I miss you."

Albus was pleased to see his friend smile at that, and it was a real smile, not an Almost-Not-There one. He smiled back. "There's a Hogsmeade outing in three weeks… think that'll give you enough time to rework your schedule a bit?"

"I'll see," Scorpius replied with a grin. "But if I fail any of my O.W.Ls…"

"And by fail, you mean get Es?" Albus scoffed.

Scorpius threw a pillow at him and Albus caught it, chuckling as he tucked it between his back and the post on which he was leaning. "Why are you still wearing your glasses, you idiot?" he asked, just noticing, after ten minutes that the light from the chandelier was reflecting off Scorpius' lenses and causing a small patch of gold to dance across the sheets.

Scorpius said nothing, but took them off, folded them closed and tucked them into his shirt pocket.

"Do you actually need them?" Albus asked, holding out his hand, wanting to try them on. "You only ever wear them when you're studying… do they make your brain work faster or something?"

With a playful sigh, Scorpius took them back out of his pocket and handed them over. Albus placed them on his face with a little chuckle and squinted as everything suddenly went very blurry. "Whoa… can you see at _all_ without these things?"

"Yes. I can see very well without them."

Albus took them back off and blinked several times, shaking his head slightly and pinching the bridge of his nose. "Then what do you need them for?" he said, handing them back.

"I'm far-sighted. I can see fine without them unless I'm reading. I can either hold the book at arms length or wear these," he said, taking them from Albus and putting them back in his pocket. "And since holding ones arms out for three hours can get somewhat tiring, the glasses make studying just that much easier."

Albus looked up again and grinned, his eyes still watering slightly. "I'm blaming you if I can't see at my next game, you realise?"

Scorpius laughed and Albus felt slightly warmer inside. He hadn't heard a proper laugh from Scorpius in weeks. It actually stunned him a little. "You know, that's the first time I've heard you laugh in ages. I'd forgotten what it sounded like," he said, then smiled. "It sounds nice."

Scorpius froze for a second, then smiled back and looked down at his knee again.

"Al," came a voice from downstairs. Albus rolled his eyes and stood up.

"Be back in a minute," he said, walking to the door. He opened it and poked his head out. "What?" he called back down, leaning against the doorframe.

"Just bumped into your Gryffindor in the Entrance Hall," said Neil Macnamara, plonking himself down into one of the comfy armchairs. "She wants you to go meet her by the lake."

"Ok," nodded Albus. "Cheers." He ducked back into the dorm room, grinning a wide grin. "I've got to…"

"I know. I heard."

Albus pulled on a jumper and checked his hair quickly in the mirror before turning back to Scorpius' bed. "So I'll see you later, then?"

"Yeah."

Albus smiled and made his way back to the door before stopping and spinning back round. "So, Scorp… three weeks… Hogsmeade. You coming?"

"Sure."

Albus smiled. "Great. I'll see you later, mate."

He turned and all but sprinted from the room, across the Common Room and out the door. It had been only three hours since he'd seen Joanna and he missed her, already.


	3. Chapter 3

Scorpius stuffed his hands into his jacket pockets, despite the warm weather, and kept his eyes fixed on the floor as Al and Joanna kissed and giggled beside him

Scorpius stuffed his hands into his jacket pockets, despite the warm weather, and kept his eyes fixed on the floor as Al and Joanna kissed and giggled beside him. He'd agreed to go on this trip, thinking it would be just him and Al – it had been a while since he'd spent any decent amount of time alone with his friend and he'd been looking forward to it – he wouldn't have agreed to come if he'd known he'd just be an add-on. All Al and Joanna had done since they'd left Hogwarts was smooch and find new and more intricate ways in which to wrap themselves round one another. It was infuriating.

They'd shared a carriage with other classmates into Hogsmeade, so it had been easier for Scorpius to ignore them with others around, but it was just the three of them now, and he had no way of escaping it. He walked alongside them, pointedly not looking in their direction, until they reached The Three Broomsticks. "Fancy a drink, Scorp?" Al piped up, finally disentangling himself, briefly, from his girlfriend.

Scorpius looked up at last and gave Albus a small smile, which he felt might crack at any minute, and nodded. "Sure, sounds good to me." Anything that gave him something else to focus on was most welcome, and nursing a drink for a couple of hours sounded like a good option.

Albus walked over to the door and opened it for Joanna. "Ladies first," he said gallantly, then grinned cheekily at Scorpius as he waved him in, too. Scorpius didn't grin back, though he was aware that he might have under different circumstances. He walked in and followed Joanna at a distance to a booth near the back of the pub.

"I'll get this lot in" came Albus' voice at his ear just as he reached the table. "What do you want?"

"Just a Butterbeer, thanks," said Scorpius, sliding into the booth, trying to work out just how much distance to leave between Joanna and himself so as not to make his discomfort too apparent.

"And for you, Jo?"

She looked up and beamed at Albus, brushing a strand of wind-blown brown hair from her eyes. "I'll have the same, thanks."

Scorpius caught the wink Albus sent her way and nearly heaved. There was something so annoyingly saccharine about their relationship… well… when Albus wasn't trying to slide his hand up under her shirt, that was. Scorpius clenched his jaw and pretended to be looking down at the food menu in front of him. The little red jester under the Dish of the Day option appeared to be trying to impress him by juggling with every item advertised in the meal. Scorpius sneered and turned the page; it was very poor form to play with one's food, he thought.

"So," said Joanna, and Scorpius' entire body tensed. "Al tells me you've been busy studying?"

"Yes."

"What have you been studying for? I mean… which classes?"

"Arithmancy and Potions, mostly."

There was a silence for a while, then Joanna smiled. Scorpius didn't see the smile, he could just feel it; the air seemed to change around him. "Al tells me you're really good at Potions. Is that what you want to specialise in?"

"Not really."

"Oh…" She seemed a little taken aback, but then went on, regardless." Al says you're top of your class. He really admires you, I think."

Scorpius' stomach clenched a little and he smiled slightly, but, not wanting her to see it, quickly forced all trace of it from his face. He reached the end of the menu and silently cursed his luck. He should have spent more time watching the little red jester. He closed the menu and slid it back across the table, before looking up. "Albus is very good at potions, too," he said, changing tack. He wasn't very fond of talking about himself.

"He is," Joanna agreed, leaning forward in her seat, folding her arms and resting them on the edge of the table. "Potions isn't really my strong point. I think I prefer Transfiguration, but maybe that's just because I'm a Gryffindor." She grinned and Scorpius felt himself seethe. Why was she talking to him? Could she not tell by his total lack of enthusiasm in this inane conversation that he wasn't interested? Where was Albus?

"I like Charms, too," she continued. "I'm good at that. I haven't been studying much this term, really. Not as much as I should have, anyway. I think I'll start that after the weekend. Al can help me with my potions revision. Do you and he study together much?"

Again, Scorpius felt his stomach clench, but it was for a different reason. "Not really. He's been too busy with Quidditch." He all but spat the last word out. He'd never really liked the game, but he'd started to resent it more and more since Al had started spending all his time in practice. He realised he was frowning and snapped out of it, forcing his features back into a neutral expression as he took a deep breath and looked around for any sign of Albus. He found him still at the bar, having only just reached the front of the queue. The pub was quite packed, today. It was really quite lucky they'd managed to find a table, really.

Scorpius watched him for a while. Al shouted his order over the bar, then commenced tapping out a rhythm on it with his fingers, squinting to read a plaque hanging by the staff entrance behind the counter. Scorpius grinned as he watched, amused, and it wasn't until he heard Al's name being mentioned that he realised Joanna was talking. Still.

"I think Al's really quite upset that you haven't been to any of his matches, this term. He always looks for you in the stands after every game."

Scorpius' mood was brought back down again, and his grin faded. "I've been really busy," he said, feeling guilty. "But I've promised him I'll make it to one of his matches."

Joanna beamed at him. "That's good. He'll like that."

Scorpius jumped as three Butterbeers were suddenly dumped clumsily down on the table in front of him. "Drink up, me' hearties," crowed Albus in his best imitation of a pirate, before plonking himself down, just as clumsily, next to Joanna. She laughed, taking her drink, and leaned into him as he put an arm around her and kissed her gently on the top of the head.

Scorpius immediately averted his eyes, looking down at a knot in the wooden table as he sipped his drink in silence. He wasn't sure it was possible to feel anymore like a third wheel than he did, now.

"I was just telling Scorp that I'm going to try and get some studying done after the weekend," Joanna said, turning to face Albus.

Scorp? _Scorp_?! Where did she get off calling him Scorp?? That was Al's nickname for him - horrid though it was. Vile, presumptuous bint! Scorpius felt himself squeezing his glass, but quickly stopped for fear of it shattering in his hand.

"Do you want to join me in the library to study?" she asked, and Al smirked, moving his face closer to her ear.

"If by 'study' you mean 'make out', then sure."

She laughed again and they kissed, noisily and for about three whole minutes. Scorpius realised he was now biting down on his glass, too. He stopped.

"Hey, Scorp," said Albus, looking up. "Talking of studying, I've been meaning to ask you something..."

"I said I wasn't going to help you cheat this time. Not for your O.W.Ls."

"No, no," said Albus hurriedly. "I don't want to cheat… I just need some help studying for Arithmancy. I was thinking you could help me. Maybe we could study together?"

Scorpius caught the dig in the ribs Joanna gave Albus. "And I hope by 'study' you don't mean 'make out'," she said, laughing.

Scorpius froze for a second, then picked up his drink again, hoping to God that the hotness in his cheeks wasn't a blush. Joanna turned to him, laughing, then stopped and gave him a weird look before picking up her own drink.

Albus laughed, but otherwise ignored the comment, which Scorpius was grateful for. "So will you help me study?" he asked, and he sounded almost pleading.

Scorpius nodded. "Sure."

He suddenly felt very uncomfortable. Even more uncomfortable than he'd felt originally. He finished his drink, then stood up slowly. "I think I'm going to head back. I'm not feeling very good." He gave them both a forced smile, then turned and started making his way hastily from the pub.

He hadn't gone far when he felt a strong hand grip him by the elbow. He turned and came face to face with a very concerned-looking Albus "You alright?" he asked, and Scorpius looked at his nose rather than his eyes.

"Yeah, I'm ok. Just feeling a little woozy. I think I just need to lie down for a bit."

He kept his eyes on Albus' nose and cheekbones, examining the light dusting of freckles on the tanned skin in order to avoid eye contact. He really didn't want to be here, anymore.

"Are you sure? I can come with you, if you like?"

"No!" Scorpius said quickly, surprised at the force in his voice, especially since he'd really rather Albus _did_ come with him. "No, you stay here and have fun. I'll see you later."

He forced himself to look Albus in the eye and smiled. It wasn't Albus making him uncomfortable, after all.

"Alright," Al replied, letting go of Scorpius' arm and smiling back. "See you later, then. Hope you feel better."

Neither of them moved for a while, then Scorpius realised he wasn't moving and stepped back. "See you." He then turned and made his way from the pub as fast as he could.


	4. Chapter 4

Albus wasn't sure why he should feel the need to knock on the door, as it was his dormitory, too, but he didn't want to disturb Scorpius is he was sleeping or something

Albus wasn't sure why he should feel the need to knock on the door, as it was his dormitory, too, but he didn't want to disturb Scorpius if he was sleeping or something. Albus didn't believe for a minute that Scorpius was actually feeling ill, but since that was the reason he'd given for leaving in such a hurry, Albus felt he should at least respect that. He knocked on the door lightly, just to give Scorp some advanced warning, before pushing it open and stepping inside.

Scorpius was sitting up in bed, on top of his sheets, reading through yet another book on magical theory of some sort. He looked up briefly when Albus closed the door, then went back to his page. Albus smiled and made his way over to the bed, sitting down on the side and turning to face him, tucking one leg up under the other. Neither boy spoke for a while, and it became apparent after several long moments that Scorpius was making a point of avoiding eye contact.

"Are you feeling any better?" Albus asked, breaking the silence. He watched as Scorpius' eyes moved quickly from one side of the page to the other.

"Mmhmm," Scorpius replied, inclining his head slightly in a sort of half-nod. Albus kept watching him and the way his eyes darted across the page at near lightning speed. He couldn't possibly have been reading, Albus thought.

"Do you know what it was? I mean, did you feel sick or anything?"

"Headache," Scorpius replied again, lifting his book a little higher and clearing his throat.

"Ah," nodded Albus, convinced now that Scorpius was using the book to hide behind. "But well enough to study now, then, I see?"

"Yes."

Albus watched him for a while longer, then sighed, knowing Scorpius was going to continue trying to ignore him as long as he kept pretending to play along with it. He looked down at his hands and leaned forward a little bit. "I'm sorry about today."

He saw Scorpius lower his book, slightly and turned to face him, again. "I should have told you Joanna was coming."

Scorpius frowned. "I don't dislike her, I've told you that. I didn't leave because of her, I had a headache."

Albus wasn't fooled. He could always tell when Scorpius was lying, he spoke too fast and got all flustered and defensive. He wasn't happy that his best friend didn't like his girlfriend, but he'd rather address the issue than hide behind a book, as Scorpius was clearly trying to do. "I'm not stupid, Scorp. Look, I've known for ages you didn't like her, and obviously I'm not over the moon about it…"

"I don't-"

"But… please don't lie to me about it. I'd rather you were honest, at least that way we can avoid days like today in future."

Scorpius was quiet, and Albus could see his grip on his book tighten. "I had a headache, Al."

Albus sighed again. "Please…"

"I'm _not_ lying."

"Then why are you hiding behind a book?"

Scorpius' brow creased again. "I'm not hiding, I'm studying."

Albus stood up and walked over to Scorpius' bedside cabinet, picking up the small rectangular reading glasses from the top and holding them out to his friend. "Then you'll probably be needing these." He wasn't angry, just exasperated. He stood, holding the glasses out for a while, before Scorpius closed his book and put it down with a sigh.

"Alright, fine. You're right, I don't like her," he said, sounding miserable.

Al stood for a while longer, then put the glasses back down, taking a seat again, this time on the other side of the bed, and shuffling back to face Scorpius properly. "Why? Has she done or said anything to you?"

"No, no," Scorpius shook his head, looking almost alarmed. "She's been nothing but perfectly nice towards me."

"Then why don't you like her?" Albus didn't understand, had something happened between them that he'd missed? Had they had a falling out over something personal? Albus didn't think they'd ever spent enough time alone with each other for that to be an issue, but obviously something was.

Scorpius frowned and narrowed his eyes slightly, as if trying to concentrate. He looked away from Albus and shook his head again, stiffly this time. "She just… She…" He trailed off. Al felt a knot of frustration starting to grow in his stomach.

"I can't do anything about this if I don't know what's wrong," he said, trying to sound encouraging, but he could tell his voice was getting louder and he didn't mean for it to be. "If she said anything, I can talk to her and try-"

"No," snapped Scorpius, raising his own voice, and Albus was suddenly very aware of the fact that he was rapidly losing control of the situation. Scorpius hardly ever raised his voice, and Albus didn't want to fight with him. "She hasn't said anything. It's nothing she's done or said, so there's really no need to bring it up with her at all."

Albus bit his tongue to keep from jumping straight back with further questions that would likely turn the conversation into an argument. He watched Scorpius for a while and noted the faint flush of colour in his cheeks and ears. They stared at each other for some time, then Scorpius broke eye contact, and Albus realised it was his turn to speak. He leaned forward a little and made sure to lower his voice this time. "Scorp," he said, gently, almost pleadingly. "You know I love Joanna, right?"

Scorpius kept his eyes averted and nodded. Albus could see the tension in his jaw.

"And you're my best friend in the world. You're both a huge part of my life, and I guess… I guess I was sort of hoping you'd both be a huge part of my life together. I didn't really plan on the two of you not getting on."

There was another silence, then Scorpius seemed to crumble, somewhat. He closed his eyes, frowning, and his shoulders sagged, slightly. "I didn't want to upset you. She's a lovely girl, Al."

Albus moved closer, concerned and confused at his friend's obvious discomfort.

"Then why don't you like her?" he asked, almost whispering now for reasons he wasn't quite sure of.

"I don't know. She's a nice person. She's friendly, and funny, and obviously cares very much about you, but… I don't like her." He looked up and shrugged, looking slightly lost. "I'm sorry."

There was a silence while Albus thought about things. He still wasn't angry - he couldn't be angry at Scorpius – but he was a little torn. Obviously he'd love for his best friend and his girlfriend to get along, he'd love that more than anything in the world, but he wasn't going to try and force a friendship that obviously wasn't there. He wondered if Joanna was aware of Scorpius' feelings; she'd always spoken very kindly of him whenever he'd come up in conversation. It wasn't something he planned on telling her, but now he'd have to find an excuse for Scorpius' absence and he didn't relish that.

He looked over at Scorpius, who was clearly not at all comfortable with the silence, and gave him a weak smile. "It's not your fault," he said, finally, hoping to ease some of the rigid tension he could see building in Scorpius' shoulders. "And in the future, when I say we'll hang out, it'll be just you and me, ok?" His smile widened. "I won't drag you along with me and Joanna, anymore. I guess it must feel pretty awkward for you, anyway?"

"I'm really sorry," Scorpius said earnestly, and Albus suddenly felt horribly guilty.

"Hey," he said, pushing himself up and moving to sit next to Scorpius, giving him the warmest smile he could manage. "Don't be sorry, it's not your fault. These things happen, you know? And I meant what I said in the pub."

Scorpius frowned in confusion. "What did you say?"

"About needing help studying. I'd really like it if you could help me. And the next Hogsmeade trip, we can go together, without Joanna. I'm sure she'll be ok with that. What do you say?" Albus grinned and nudged Scorpius gently with his elbow. He hoped Scorpius' busy schedule would allow for another Hogsmeade outing, as this one had obviously been a disaster and he wanted to fix it.

Scorpius looked at Albus, then smiled. Albus really did like it when Scorpius smiled like that.

"Alright," Scorpius nodded. "But when we study, we're actually going to study and concentrate. I know that's hard for you…" he grinned, and Albus flicked his ear.

"Watch it, blondie, or I'll hide all your books."

They both laughed and Albus felt the knot in his stomach dissipate. It wasn't perfect, and Albus knew he'd have more thinking to do soon, but things seemed settled for now, and as long as Scorpius was happy, Albus was happy.


	5. Chapter 5

"If you want me to help you, then you're going to have to concentrate and stop doodling in the back of your book," Scorpius said lazily, as he turned the page in Albus' copy of

"If you want me to help you, then you're going to have to concentrate and stop doodling in the back of your book," Scorpius said lazily, as he turned the page in Albus' copy of '_Bewitching_ _Brews and Broths_'. "Read these two pages and write down what you think the five key elements are, then I'll take a look."

He grinned at Al's put-upon sigh and turned back to his own book. He enjoyed studying with Albus; between Quidditch and Joanna, it was really the only time they got to spend alone, these days, and Scorpius missed that. It wasn't as if he had many friends with whom he could spend time, and nobody had ever really made the effort to include him like Albus had. He was aware of the faint smile tugging at his lips, he could feel the tension in his cheek muscles, and he shifted slightly in his seat, making no attempt to hide it. He finished his page and reached for his quill, writing down notes on the importance of properly chopped Lily of the Valley root in a good Healthy Heart potion.

"Um…" came Albus' voice from his right. Scorpius looked up.

"Yes?"

"This bit says you're meant to bring the potion to the boil _before_ adding the Salamander scales…"

"That's right." Scorpius turned to look at Albus, who was looking sheepish and slightly pink in the cheeks.

"Uh… I've been putting them in first all year," he said, reaching behind his head and rubbing the back of his neck, nervously. "Do you think Slughorn's noticed?"

Scorpius suppressed a grin and turned back to his book. "Probably."

Albus swore and hunched angrily back over his book, too.

"As long as you get it right in the exam," Scorpius went on, following a line with the tip of his finger and fumbling blindly for his quill again, not wanting to lose his place. He copied down a passage of text about the properties of Lily of the Valley and watched Albus surreptitiously out of the corner of his eye. It was unusual to see him frowning in concentration, sitting in front of a book, and actually _reading_ it, for once. It wasn't that he was stupid - far from it - he was probably one of the most intelligent people Scorpius had ever met, it's just that he wasn't terribly book-smart. Scorpius continued with his own reading for a while, taking notes and marking pages until Albus finally sat back and pushed his parchment towards him.

"Done," he said, sounding very pleased with himself.

Scorpius placed his quill back in its inkwell and looked up just in time to see a Hufflepuff girl waving at Albus from across the library. He turned to look at Albus, who was winking and grinning at her in return, then back to the girl, who giggled, turned bright red, and promptly hid behind her copy of the Quibbler.

He rolled his eyes and shifted his chair closer to Albus, unsure exactly why he felt the need to do this, since they were already sitting close enough to read the page together. He read through each paragraph of Albus' somewhat scrawled handwriting, pleased that Al seemed to have actually read the text in its entirety instead of skimming it, as he usually did. He stopped at the third paragraph and pointed to the second sentence. "Did you read this bit properly?" he asked, placing his finger directly under the mistake Albus had made in his instructions.

"Yes," was the immediate response. Albus leaned in closer so he could read what Scorpius was pointing to. "_To ensure the liquid turns the right shade of periwinkle blue, keep the cauldron on a low heat, and be sure to keep stirring continually, while slowly adding the diced ginger root…_" he read out. "What's wrong with it?"

"By this stage, the potion should already be periwinkle blue. Adding the ginger should turn it dark blue. If the mixture is still periwinkle after you've added the ginger, then you've forgotten to add the beetle eyes."

Albus was silent for a while, the he sighed.

"It's alright," Scorpius went on quickly, pointing to the previous paragraph. "You add the beetle eyes here. Fit it in there."

Albus leaned forward and scribbled the words '_insert beetle eyes here_' in the gap between the lines. Scorpius caught a whiff of Al's hair and smiled, then promptly shook himself and cleared his throat. "That's fine. Now you just have to change the next paragraph to dark blue."

"That's so cute," said a voice from the other side of the table. Scorpius and Albus both looked up at the same time. "Are the two lovebirds having a private moment?"

Albus rolled his eyes "Fuck off, James," he said, looking back down at his parchment.

Scorpius felt his cheeks burn and his blood boiled. He grit his teeth and looked down again, too, trying to ignore him. He heard the scrape of wood on stone and heard James take a seat opposite them. He could see him leaning forward on the table and trying to look down at the parchment they were working on.

"Is Malfoy helping you write love letters to Joanna? Surely you can't be studying, can you?"

Albus gave James the finger without looking up.

James leaned further forward. "_The key elements for making a Strengthening Solution_," he read out loud. "So you _are_ studying, then? That's very unlike you, Al."

Scorpius felt his insides clenching painfully. He didn't really know James terribly well, but he wasn't particularly fond of him. He kept his eyes down, determined not to get involved with any kind of family feud the two brothers might decide to throw themselves into.

"So, is Malfoy helping you study, or is he your bit on the side?" James laughed, and Albus looked up.

"Fuck off, you dickhead," he said, tiredly. "I'm trying to get this done so I don't fail my O.W.Ls."

"I didn't hear you denying anything."

"Go pick on a first year, or something, will you?"

James smirked. Scorpius looked up, scowling, gripping his quill tightly between his fingers. "Funny… but that didn't sound like a denial, either."

Scorpius opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off.

"Leave them alone, James. Al needs to study. You don't want him to fail his exams, do you?"

Lily Potter had appeared behind her brother, giving him a reproachful look. Oh fantastic, thought Scorpius, now the entire family is here. He opened his mouth again and looked hastily back down at Albus' paper, reading through it, trying to remove himself from the scene entirely.

"What do you think, Lil?" James asked, leaning back in his chair and lacing his fingers together over his stomach. "Is Al Seeking for both teams?"

"Would you just fuck off?" cried Albus, clearly fed up with his brother's teasing. "You're alright, you don't have any bloody exams this year. I have a couple of pretty big ones in a few months, so if you wouldn't mind…?"

James sighed and pushed himself up, giving his brother a sly grin – Scorpius could see it, despite pretending to still be reading. "Fine, fine. I'll leave you two turtledoves alone, to, uh.. '_study_'."

"James, stop being so mean," Lily said, giving him a slight shove as she followed him from the library.

Scorpius felt his stomach relax, slightly, but he could still feel the heat in his ears. Both boys were silent for a while, then Scorpius cleared his throat. "The rest is fine. If you just change the colour of the potion, everything else is all correct."

"Thanks," Al said, taking his parchment back and making the alterations. "Sorry about James," he said as he wrote. "He can be a real idiot, sometimes. Just ignore him."

Scorpius declined to comment, going back to his own book, once again.

"Thanks, by the way…" Al went on after a while.

"For what?"

"For helping me study. It means a lot."

Scorpius felt his stomach clench again, and he smiled. "You're welcome."


	6. Chapter 6

Albus sent a well-aimed paper phoenix straight into the back of Heather Forthheart's head just as Professor Lystram entered the classroom

Albus sent a well-aimed paper phoenix straight into the back of Heather Forthheart's head, just as Professor Lystram entered the classroom. Heather turned around, frowning and picking the paper bird out of her long, plaited hair, as Albus pretended to look otherwise engaged, digging his books out of his bag.

Professor Lystram walked briskly to the front of the class, her long, blue robes and silvery hair flowing behind her. "Right class," she said, before she'd quite reached the front. She kept walking and turned round before continuing. "As you know, your O.W.Ls are rapidly approaching, and as such, I would like to spend this lesson going over several of the charms and enchantments you are likely to encounter in your examinations. A sharpened mind is, as we all know, a ready mind," she finished, beaming at the class, widely. Albus gave Scorpius a brief sideways glance and grinned as he saw the way Scorp's quill was poised over his parchment, ready to take notes as soon as the first new piece of information was given.

Lystram turned to the board and waved her wand at it. She watched for a moment as a piece of chalk began writing out a list of spells in alphabetical order, before turning to the pile of parchments on the desk "Before we get started on today's lesson, I'd like to hand you back your homework." Another flick of the wand saw the papers lift themselves off the table and float down between the desks, handing themselves out to their owners. "Some of you have clearly been paying attention to this year's syllabus, well done."

Albus looked over at Scorpius and saw the anxious tension on his face as he followed the floating pile of papers around the room with his eyes. He then turned to Rose, sitting two desks to his left and a row in front, and grinned as he saw the look of smug triumph in her eyes as she read back over her newly marked homework.

"And some of you seem to be neglecting some areas in favour of other, more 'interesting' ones." Albus' parchment placed itself on the desk in front of him, taking him by surprise as he watched Rose. He turned and picked it up, noting the big red letter A in the bottom right hand corner. He glanced briefly over the notes written in red ink in various places on the parchment, but didn't really stop to take them in. He turned again to Scorpius, who was now reading intently over his own and breathing a sigh of relief. Albus could see the big red O in the corner of Scorp's page and smiled.

"It is my job - and not only that - but my dearest _desire_ to see you all get the highest grades you possibly can in these exams," Lystram went on, now that all the parchments had finished handing themselves out. "Therefore, in this hour, we will be going over past lessons, covering areas we have previously covered, and tuning up on charms and spells we have already practised."

There was a groan from several people in the class, especially from those students with Os on their homework, but Albus was actually quite glad for the revision. He was generally quite good at Charms, but he'd been so busy lately with Quidditch practice that his studying had really suffered this term. He read over the list of spells on the blackboard behind Lystram; there were quite a few up there that he didn't recall in any great detail, and he vaguely remembered brushing them off in his last few essays in favour of adding unnecessary, yet page-filling details about the ones he _had_ bothered to learn.

He saw Scorpius scribbling furiously away at his parchment, and a few others taking down notes slightly less enthusiastically, and decided he'd better at least look like he was doing some work. He took his quill from its inkwell and wrote down the list of spells they were going to be covering in the lesson, underlining the few he was most unfamiliar with. Conjuring, Changing Properties, Reflection and Shield, and Illusion.

"I want you all to pair up and find a space to practice some of the more physical charms. I don't want any talking to anyone other than your partner. Remember, you're studying for your exams, so you are to take this just as seriously as any other lesson."

Instantly people started to move, pushing back chairs noisily as they made their way across the room to find their friends. Albus turned to Scorpius and was just about to say 'hey, want to be partners?', when Lystram appeared between the two. "Mr. Potter?"

Albus looked up.

"I'd like you to work with Ms. Weasley, please."

Albus frowned and was about to ask why, but Lystram seemed to have read his mind. "Your concentration seems to drop somewhat when you work with Mr. Malfoy, and I'm sure you want to do well in these exams and get the best grades you can?"

Albus wanted to argue, but he knew, logically, that there was nothing he could say to that. He _did_ want to do well, and he couldn't deny that he tended to get a little lost in conversation when working with Scorpius, and forget about the work at hand. "Yes, Professor," he said, pushing himself up from his seat with a sigh. He gave Scorpius a small, almost apologetic smile and made his way over to Rose's desk.

"Hey," he said, throwing his parchment down on the desk beside her. He slumped down into the chair, pulled his wand out of his robe pocket and started twirling it between his fingers, carelessly.

"Hello," she said, pulling out a leather-bound folder from her bag and leafing through the pages until she found what looked to be her notes on the first spell on the list. "You sound full of beans this morning," she added, giving Albus a brief glance out of the corner of her eye. Albus sighed, as if put-upon and leaned back in his chair.

"I haven't learned half of these," he said, waving his wand at the board.

Rose nodded, sitting up, her fingering marking a line on her current page. "So I see, if that A on your homework is anything to go by. Quidditch getting on top of you?"

"Yeah," Albus nodded, taking a deep breath and sitting up again, suddenly. He'd just spotted Heather Forthheart moving across the class in front of him. He waved his wand at a piece of spare parchment on the table in front of him, turned it into a dragonfly and sent it flying straight into the back of her head again. She turned, glowering, and pulled the paper from her hair, before storming off to the other side of the room.

"How very mature of you, Al," Rose remarked, dryly.

"She makes it too easy," Albus chuckled to himself, leaning over slightly to peek at Rose's notes. "Uh… can we move on to Conjuring? I don't know that one."

"We'll do Conjuring when we get to it. I'm following the list." She read her notes, then turned to Albus. "Alright, we're doing Concealment, first," she said, and Albus just grunted his affirmation. Rose slid her inkwell to the middle of the table and nodded her head towards it. "You go first."

Albus sighed and turned towards the inkwell, waving his wand at it and muttering the correct charm. The inkwell vanished before their eyes. "Very good," said Rose, and Albus rolled his eyes.

"Well, I know that one, don't I?"

Rose ignored him. Albus turned and looked over his shoulder at Scorpius, who was currently casting Illusionment charms on his bag to make it look like a stone.

He turned back to Rose and watched her flicking through more pages in her folder. "You know," he began, "I'm surprised you and Scorp aren't best friends. You're both totally obsessed with studying. He has a collection of notes that rivals even yours."

"Oh?" said Rose, raising an eyebrow as she ran her finger along the line she was currently reading.

"He even follows the lines with his fingers, too."

"Well, he's in Slytherin, isn't he?" Rose replied, not looking up. "I don't really get much chance to talk to anyone outside of Ravenclaw very often, do I?"

"Well, you would do if you took a break from studying every now and then. And you do, anyway. You go to Hogsmeade with Lily and Anna, sometimes. There's two Gryffindors, already. And you study with Amy in the library, and she's a Hufflepuff."

"Is this going anywhere?" Rose looked up from her book, her finger once again marking her place.

Albus shrugged. "Not really, " he replied. "Just saying you'd probably get on with Scorp. I'll introduce you to him some time."

"Right," Rose nodded. "Anyway, we can move on to Conjuring, now."

The two of them worked for a while on Conjuring, skimmed over Summoning, as Albus happened to have actually studied that one, moved slowly past Changing Properties and Reflection, and had only just started on Illusion when Professor Lystram's voice called an end to the class.

"Right class," she said, loudly, making her way back to her desk. "That's all the time we have for, today. For homework, I want you to take the three Charms you feel are your weakest points, practice them, and write up their properties and attributes. No less than three feet of parchment or you'll automatically be getting an A, does everyone understand?"

She had to shout the last part over the sound of chairs being scraped against the stone floor, and books and folders being shoved hastily back into bags. A mumbled "Yes, Professor" was the class's unanimous response. Albus packed his things away and took hold of Rose's upper arm. "Come on," he said, giving her a tug. She frowned at him.

"Come on what?"

"Come and meet Scorp," Albus said, grinning encouragingly, pulling her across the room, through the crowd of moving students, and towards the door that Scorpius had just left through.

"I can't, I told Anna I'd have lunch with her by the lake, today."

"You don't have to stay, I'll just introduce you and you can go."

Rose sighed and Albus knew he'd won. He grinned and finally got out of the room, still holding onto Rose's arm and pulling her down the corridor, following Scorpius' swiftly retreating blond head. "Scorpius. Scorp…" he called after his friend, and Scorpius stopped and turned round.

Al caught up and smiled warmly at his friend. He let go of Rose's arm and gestured in her direction. "Scorp, this is Rose, my cousin." He then looked at Rose and gestured towards Scorpius. "Rose, this is Scorpius."

The two looked absolutely baffled. The stared at each other for several moments, then Rose stuck out her hand somewhat rigidly. "Um… hello Scorpius," she said. "Albus tells me we have a bit in common."

Scorpius took the hand and shook it. "… he did?"

Albus watched them for a while, then rolled his eyes. "Come on, guys. You both look like Hippogriffs caught in the headlights." He turned to Scorpius. "Scorp, I was just saying to Rose in class that you two would probably get along since you both like to study. I figured you'd have something in common. You're also in a few of the same classes. Dunno if either you had noticed?"

"Yeah," said Rose, nodding. "You're in my Arithmancy and Defence Against the Dark Arts classes, aren't you?"

"Uh… yeah, I think so." Scorpius said.

There was an awkward silence, then Scorpius took his hand back.

"Well," said Rose, looking suddenly very eager to leave. "I have to go meet Anna. Nice to meet you Scorpius, " she said. "Albus… go study, or something." And she turned and made her way towards the Entrance Hall.

"Well…" said Albus, watching her leave. "Personally, I thought that went swimmingly."

Scorpius rolled his eyes and turned, making his way back towards the Slytherin Common Room. Albus grinned and followed.


	7. Chapter 7

"You're really alike, you know

"You're really alike, you know?" Al said, looking up from his book and leaning forward on the table. Scorpius could feel Al's gaze on the top of his head and pretended to ignore it.

"You're both swots, both bookish to the point of insanity," he went on. "It's actually scary how much alike you are."

"Mmm," nodded Scorpius, underlining a spelling mistake in Al's Transfiguration essay.

"It's really weird you haven't spoken to her, before. I think you'd get on like a house on fire." Albus paused and Scorpius circled another error in Albus' work. "She lectures me, too, about not doing my work. Always did, even when we were small and mum and dad used to take us to visit them."

Scorpius got to the bottom of Albus' parchment and looked up. "Good. Somebody needs to," he said, sliding the work back over to Albus. "You have about a foot and a half more to write, Al. This isn't finished."

Albus' face fell and he groaned, taking the parchment back. "This is the most boring Friday night ever, you realise?" he said, raking his eyes over Scorpius' corrections.

Scorpius removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose, blinking in the dim light, before replacing them. They'd been up for hours, reading and studying; Scorpius had offered to check over Albus' latest essay and had spent the best part of an hour making corrections. He watched as Albus read, gazing at his creased brow and the way his nose scrunched up in confusion. "Salfyra Saffrone died in eighteen ninety four, didn't she? I'm sure I remember reading that."

"She died in nineteen thirteen. She fell into her six-year coma in eighteen ninety four," Scorpius corrected, then smirked. "And since when have you I_ever/I_ remembered anything you've read?"

Albus grinned "Fuck off," he chuckled, still scanning the page. Scorpius could tell he wasn't reading everything properly, but he wasn't too concerned at this point; it was getting late and he was starting to feel tired.

"You need to expand on your section about her discovery of the fifth use for unicorn hair. You could get another few paragraphs out of that, and since you got your dates wrong about her death, you can add a whole new section about her coma and what caused it."

Albus kept reading. "Eating a pixie toadstool, wasn't it?" he said, without looking up.

Scorpius smiled and nodded. "It was." He looked at Albus for a while, feeling what he knew was a rather patronising sense of pride that Albus had known the answer – not only known it, but said it in such an off-hand manner so as to look utterly blasé. It tickled him. He said nothing, though, knowing that Albus would feel self-conscious and belittled by praise.

"Ok," Al said finally, putting down the parchment. "So if I expand on that section, add the bit about her coma… I could write up about some of her other discoveries in the bit about unicorn hair. I can get another foot and a half out of that, right?"

Scorpius nodded. "You should, yeah. And correct those mistakes I spotted." He glanced over at the clock on the end of the table and sighed. He had the end of his own essay to finish - though, granted, he still had much less to do than Albus.

"You have Defence Against the Dark Arts on Monday morning, don't you? After Transfiguration?"

Scorpius looked up, a little confused at the sudden and seemingly random change of topic. "Yes. Why?"

"You can talk to Rose, she's in your class."

Scorpius frowned. "What is this sudden obsession you have with wanting me to talk to your cousin?" he asked, reaching for his quill.

Albus shrugged, shuffling through his papers, obviously with no intention of doing any more writing. "Dunno. Just think you two'd get along."

Scorpius scrutinised Albus for a while, and then something dawned on him. He tilted his head to one side and put his quill back in its inkwell. "Are you trying to get me to befriend her so you don't have to feel guilty about spending time with Joanna without me?"

Albus looked up, his expression one of genuine surprise. "What? No. Not at all."

"Because you don't have to feel guilty about wanting to spend time with her."

"I don't," Albus began, then stopped and shook his head. "I mean, that's not why I'm doing it. I just thought, you know… you'd be able have really enthralling, swotty conversations with her and stuff." He grinned and raised an eyebrow. Scorpius couldn't suppress a grin of his own. "And besides, " Albus went on. "She could spy on you for me. Keep me up to date on what you get up to when I'm not around. You might be getting even more boring behind my back. You know it's not good for you? You'll turn to stone, one day."

Scorpius blinked. "What on earth are you talking about?"

Albus laughed and shrugged, and Scorpius shook his head, though his attempt at disguising the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth was futile. He looked quickly back down at his paper to try and hide it, picking his quill up again. "Sometimes it's like being friends with a monkey."

"Yeah," agreed Albus. "A tousled-haired, great-smelling, heart-melting, gorgeous, snitch-catching monkey."

Scorpius snorted. "You forgot modest."

Albus laughed again and gathered his papers up into a pile, pushing himself away from the table. "I'm going to finish this over the weekend. I'm tired and I have Quidditch practice in the morning. Are you staying up to finish that?" he asked, nodding his head towards Scorpius' current essay.

"Yeah. I'm nearly finished, though, so…"

"Oh," said Albus, sitting back down. "I'll wait for you, then."

Scorpius looked up at Albus for a while, expressionless, then smiled. "Thanks…"

He went back to his work, feeling oddly cheerful despite the late hour and the fact that his eyelids were feeling heavy.

"My next match is in just under two weeks. Are you going to come?"

Scorpius nodded. "I will." He continued writing for a while, then cleared his throat. "Who are you playing against?"

"Well, it's the second round of the finals, so we're playing Hufflepuff, first. Gryffindor after that if we win, which we will, of course."

There was silence for a while, and Scorpius felt he should probably say something, but he knew absolutely nothing about Quidditch. Thankfully, Albus continued.

"Joanna… asked if she and I could go to Hogsmeade this weekend." He said. "You don't mind, do you?"

The tone in Albus' voice took Scorpius quite by surprise, but he couldn't help his stomach tightening at the mention of her name. He looked up, with a slightly blank expression on his face. "You don't have to ask for permission, you know. I'm not your guardian. She's your girlfriend, you're allowed to whatever you want."

"I know," Albus replied. "I just… wanted to make sure you were okay with it."

Scorpius shrugged and looked back down at his paper. "Why wouldn't I be?"

He received no answer, and was thankful for it. Conversations about Joanna never went well. He understood how important Joanna was to Albus, and how Albus felt about her, but he couldn't help disliking her, and he hated that it was obviously causing Al so much emotional stress. He sniffed and finished the last line, added the last full stop, and replaced his quill back in its inkwell.

"I'm finished for tonight," he said, rolling his shoulders and feeling his spine click delightfully all the way up his back.

Albus stood up again, gathering his papers and tucking them under his arm. "You know," he said, walking around the table, "if I'm rubbish at practice tomorrow, I'm placing the blame squarely on your shoulders."

Scorpius grinned as he picked up his own things and piled his text books up neatly on the table. "And likewise if I get anything less than an O in my O.W.Ls."

They made their way up the stairs and over to their respective beds. Scorpius pulled out his folder from his bag and tucked his essay in neatly at the front. He changed for bed and climbed in under the sheets, lying on his back as Albus changed and climbed into his bed next door. The room was silent for a while, save for Michael Bishop's faint snoring coming from the corner, then Albus spoke.

"You don't have to come to Quidditch if you don't want to," he whispered, and Scorpius rolled onto his side.

"I do want to."

Albus let out a breath, and Scorpius could tell that Al was smiling.

"Thanks for waiting up for me," he added, feeling inexplicably as if the silence needed breaking.

"That's alright." Al yawned. "Goodnight, Scorp."

Scorpius smiled and rolled onto his back. "Goodnight," he whispered.


	8. Chapter 8

Albus smiled as Joanna slid her hand into his and gave a small squeeze

Albus smiled as Joanna slid her hand into his and gave it a small squeeze.

"Are you looking forward to your next match?" she asked, turning to him as they made their way along the sloping road towards The Three Broomsticks. Al nodded, grinning.

"Of course," he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "It's going to be an easy one. Fairhall and Dobson are two of the weakest Chasers I've seen. Did you know Dobson is wearing the wrong prescription lenses? She admits it… or maybe that's her excuse for being so bad. Either way, it's going to be a short match."

Joanna smiled. "And then you're playing Gryffindor after that?" She raised an eyebrow and smirked. Albus mimicked her expression.

"Yes. And we're going to win," he replied, smugly. He loved winding Gryffindors up about Quidditch, though James was always his favourite for that. He always seemed to take it so personally, whereas Joanna was more easy-going. He guessed with James it had more to do with sibling rivalry than anything else. Lily, on the other hand, always cheered for him when Slytherin were playing Gryffindor, which, Albus had noticed -- to his great delight -- pissed James off tremendously.

Joanna narrowed her eyes playfully. "That's what you think. I'll have you know that Natasha and Michael have been devising brand new strategies and tactics for this next match. I wouldn't be so cocky, just yet, if I were you."

"Oh no, new tactics? Maybe we should pull out now before it's too late." Albus pretended to swoon, then grinned and rolled his eyes. "Jo, if Gryffindor _hadn't_ been devising new tactics I'd have been sorely disappointed. Do you know how easy it is to read your Keeper? What's his name, again?"

"Stephen Puttock," Joanna replied.

"Right. Puttock's always swooping to the left. Even if you throw right. And you can always tell when he's going to do it, too. He puts more weight on his left foot… Not that I should telling you that, though," he said, suddenly realising he was giving away his team's secrets. He felt his ears burn as Joanna laughed at him and bumped into him playfully as they walked.

"Now maybe Stephen will surprise you all. I could go back and tell them what you just said."

"But I know you won't," Albus replied, giving Joanna a knowing sideways glance.

"How do you know?"

"Because," he said, matter-of-factly, "I've already told you more of our teams strategies than I should have, and given the fact that Gryffindor haven't improved or even once tried to catch us out, I can only assume one of two things. Either Gryffindors are really, very stupid, or… you haven't told them anything." He paused. "Or maybe you have told them…"

Joanna punched him in the arm and pretended to frown. "You have a girlfriend and two siblings in Gryffindor."

"One of whom who is an excellent example of my first theory…" Albus stated, giving a small nod. Joanna sighed.

"Why do you two always have to try and get the best of one another?" she asked, her tone changing to something almost pleading. Albus didn't like that tone. "I hear it all the time from him, too. All he says to me is how I shouldn't be wasting my time with you since you 'obviously weren't good enough to get into Gryffindor'. He and Lily get along fine. You and Lily seem to get along perfectly well, too."

"Yeah," Albus agreed, shrugging. "But she's a girl. It's different."

"But you get along with Hugo, too. He's not a girl."

"He's also not my brother." Albus let go of Joanna's hand to run his fingers through his hair, trying to move it away from his forehead. "It's different with friends and cousins and stuff. I didn't grow up with Hugo, so there was never a need to compete with him. And there was nothing to compete _with_ with Lily."

It was Joanna's turn to shrug this time. "I guess I don't really get it."

"Well, you're an only child, aren't you?" Albus slid his hand behind Joanna and slipped it into her back pocket, trying to keep the grin from his face at her easy acceptance of this move. "You didn't have to fight for anything with anyone."

"Fight for what? What on earth were you fighting for?"

"Well, attention, really. See, if you're an only child, it's ok, because you get all the attention. If there's one boy and one girl, then the attention is spread evenly between the two, but because there were two boys and a girl… It's silly really, I guess, but it always felt as if we were battling for mum and dad's attention, and it just sort of… stuck."

"Oh, you're both idiots," Joanna said, huffily. "You know that's complete nonsense. Parents don't divide their love up like that."

"Yeah, I know," said Albus, defensively, not wanting Joanna to think he was silly enough to still believe it. "But that's how it starts, and then you get stuck in this dynamic of always wanting to get one up on the other one. It's not like I don't love him or anything."

"Do you two ever just sit down and talk and act civilly towards each other?" Joanna asked. "Because I can't remember the last time I saw you two together and you weren't fighting."

"Yeah, all the time." They reached the door to The Three Broomsticks and Albus opened it for Joanna. "We go to the beach all the time when we're at home. There's a load of caves down there that we go exploring, sometimes."

They found a table near the back of the pub, hidden partially from sight by a large floating chalk board displaying today's specials, and picked up the menus. Albus went straight to the dessert section. Joanna looked over the menu for a while, then lowered it to look at Albus again. "How do your parents feel about you being in Slytherin, by the way? I've never really thought about that, before. James seems so against it."

Albus chuckled and shook his head. "He's not. He's just against the idea that we're not all in the same house. And my parents are fine about it. To be honest, I didn't want to be in Slytherin when I first came to Hogwarts. My uncle, Hugo's dad, used to tell us all about what a horrible House it was, but dad always told us not to worry about Houses. Then I met Scorp and it was all fine, really."

Joanna cleared her throat and was silent. Al was about to ask if she was ok when she closed her menu and looked up, smiling. "I'll have the stew. What are you having?"

"Oh…" Al looked back down at his menu, realising he'd just been staring at the different ice creams. He quickly turned to the main course section and picked something at random. "I'll have the omelette, then," he said, closing his own menu and placing it on top of Joanna's. "I'll go and order."

He got up from the table, giving Joanna a smile and made his way to the bar. He placed the orders and got two Butterbeers, paying the bartender, before making his way back to the table. "You know," he said, placing Joanna's glass in front of her and sitting back down. "Sometimes I wonder if James actually likes the fact that I got sorted into Slytherin. It gives him more ammunition to use against me. When we're at home, he doesn't mention it at all."

Joanna rolled her eyes as she took a sip of her drink. "I just think the whole thing is silly. If I had a sister, I wouldn't fight with her like you two do."

"No," Albus said, shaking his head. "You'd fight like sisters."

"Oh, I would not. Anyway, I don't want to talk about this anymore. I can see there's no reasoning with you. Tell me more about your next match."

Albus perked up. "Well, we're planning on letting them score a few goals… Merlin knows that's going to take a while… but we think it would be that much greater a victory if they score the majority of the goals and then I catch the Snitch. More crushing, really." Albus smirked as he spoke and Joanna smiled and shook her head.

"This is why the Sorting Hat put you in Slytherin. You're a bit sadistic, really, aren't you?"

"Not at all, actually. Just giving the fans what they want. The game would be over in ten minutes if we caught the Snitch right away, and where would be the fun in that? It would just be a waste of everyone's time." He said it very plainly, because it really was quite obvious when you thought about it. To Albus, anyway. "Scorp said he'd come and watch me play, too."

Joanna paused mid-sip, then continued drinking, and put her glass down. "He did? That's good." She smiled. "I know he doesn't like Quidditch much. Did he say why he changed his mind?"

"He just said he wanted to." Albus smiled and leaned back in his chair. "I hope he enjoys it. It'll be the first full match he's watched, I think. Maybe I'll get him to come down afterwards and I can show him all the equipment."

"That'll be nice," Joanna said, taking another sip of her drink. "Why is he not here, today?"

Albus froze. He could hardly tell Joanna the truth, it would upset her too much, and he didn't want to put Scorp in an awkward situation. He thought quickly. "He… uh… had a lot of studying to do." Yes, that sounded perfectly plausible. "He said he probably won't have many free weekends until after O.W.Ls are over. Or maybe even after the summer."

Joanna nodded. "Well, that's a shame. He'll do really well in his exams, won't he? Is he helping you study?"

Albus nodded and smiled. "He is. I was actually up late last night studying with him. He's a very good teacher. He should take over from Lystram."

There was a silence for a while, then a pretty, young witch with blonde hair brought their meals over. "Here you are, my lovelies," she said in a bright, sunny voice. "Enjoy."

Albus grinned to himself, watching her bum as she walked away, only to be snapped out of it by a piece of bread hitting him in the nose.

"Pervert" Joanna said, chuckling.

Albus smiled sheepishly and got started on his Omlette.


	9. Chapter 9

hjgd

Scorpius started slightly and looked up when a bag was placed onto the desk next to his own. Albus' cousin, Rose, was smiling nervously down at him. "Do you mind if I sit here?" she asked, obviously trying to sound as casual as possible. Scorpius felt almost obligated to say yes, since he'd spent just about the entire weekend listening to Albus going on and on about how alike they were. He gave her a small nod and moved his books aside, putting his bag on the floor to give her more room, and swallowed thickly. This was either going go as smoothly as Albus had assured him it would, or be very, very awkward.

He watched out of the corner of his eye as Rose unpacked in silence, placing her books and parchment in tidy piles in front of her. He then turned to his own desk and looked at the almost identical piles in front of his own folded arms. Allowing himself one more surreptitious glance in her direction, he found her examining _his_ books and parchment, and it all felt very surreal, indeed.

"Um…" she said, suddenly, and Scorpius shook himself. "Who usually sits here? I'm not going to upset anyone, am I?"

Scorpius shook his head. "I doubt it."

Rose nodded and brushed a lock of brown hair behind her ear, looking down at the desk momentarily, before turning to Scorpius again. "Did you know that Sissy Wrokstem actually specialised in Potions in school? And it wasn't until years later, when she started working with Werewolves, that she realised her interest in Defence Against the Dark Arts? She used to make Wolfsbane potion for all her subjects."

Scorpius nodded. "In eighteen sixty two, I believe," he said, opening his book and looking for the relevant page for today's lesson. "She also excelled at Herbology."

Rose blinked and looked down at her desk. "Oh."

Scorpius could sense the disappointment in her response and tried very hard to pretend he hadn't noticed by fumbling around in his pocket for his glasses and reading over a few magically highlighted paragraphs.

Thankfully, Professor Addams chose that precise moment to arrive, breaking the slight tension Scorpius could feel building in the several inches of space between Rose and himself. Professor Addams was a slightly older man, bald and fairly large, with a very husky voice. Some of the other students had taken to calling him 'Fester', for some reason. Scorpius had never fully understood why.

"Okay, class," said Professor Addams, turning to face them. "Today we'll start by going over what we read last week, then we will be moving on to chapter twenty three."

Scorpius had already glanced at chapter twenty three over the weekend.

"So," Addams continued. "Can anybody tell me when Sissy Wrokstem was born?"

Rose's hand shot up so fast it almost caught Scorpius on the ear. He gave her a sideways glance, then slowly raised his own hand.

"Um… yes, Mr. Malfoy," said Addams, nodding in Scorpius' direction.

Rose's hand fell.

"Eighteen thirty five, sir."

"Very good," Addams nodded. "And in what year did she open her apothecary?"

Rose's hand shot up again.

Addams pointed at her. "Miss Weasley."

"Eighteen fifty six, sir. Although technically it wasn't officially open to the public until a year later, due to an infestation of sprites."

Scorpius could somehow feel the satisfaction radiating from her as she finished speaking, and saw the grin on her face as she leaned forward in her seat.

"That's correct, Miss Weasley. Very well done." Addams turned to his desk and picked up his book, waving his hand lazily over the pages until they stopped turning. "Alright, I trust you all have homework for me? I would like that in now before we move on." He appeared to be reading for several moments, before looking up. "Any time you're ready, class."

There were several groans, and Scorpius heard Jones explaining, once again, why he couldn't do his homework due to Quidditch practice. He hoped Al never used that excuse. He made his way to the front of the class beside Rose, who was just about to put her homework down until she saw him standing beside her. She gave him a smile and lifted her homework back up, indicating that he should go first, and placing her parchment on top.

Scorpius couldn't help but wonder if, in the few minutes they had been sitting next to one another, some sort of competition had spring up between them.

They both made their way back to their desks and took their seats. When the last of the homeworks had been handed in, Professor Addams looked up from his book again and cleared his throat. "Could you all please turn to page three hundred and six and read the first two pages on the link between Werewolves and Wrokstem's later work? I want you to take note of any points you think are relevant to last week's lesson. I'm going to be asking questions afterwards."

The sound of turning pages filled the room for several moments. Scorpius was already reading and taking notes. So was Rose.

_Wrokstem worked closely with Lycanthropes, from 1862, until she died in 1947, age 112_

_Wrokstem's close work with these individuals helped to dispel some of the myths surrounding lycanthropy, and laws were changed to give these sufferers a better way of life._

_Before she died in 1947, Wrokstem gifted her - now famous - apothecary to the W.A.P.T (Werewolves Are People, Too) Foundation, which she had helped to fund and establish just three years previous._

About thirty minutes passed, and Scorpius was on his third read-through, when Professor Addams broke the silence. "Okay, I think that's long enough." He looked around the room, then pointed over Scorpius' shoulder to the back of the class. "Jones, since you have no homework for me, why don't you read out the notes you've just taken."

"Uh… I don't have any, sir…"

"Yes," nodded Addams. "Rather hard to take notes when you're talking to Roberts, isn't it? Detention, Jones. Please come to my office at six o'clock tonight."

Scorpius heard Jones swear and rolled his eyes. It really wasn't hard to take notes. Did these people just not realise how _important_ these lessons were? There was a _reason_ the harder lessons were held closer to their O.W.Ls. He looked over at Rose, who was glancing down at his parchment, obviously oblivious to his gaze. He looked away again before she noticed.

"I want you to get into pairs with the person sitting next to you. Except you, Jones. You can work with Miss Begum, and Roberts, please move and work with Mr. McKnight. I want you, in your pairs, to discuss what you've just read, and I want you to sum up, in a paragraph or two, exactly what Sissy Wrokstem did to change people's understanding of Lycanthropy. You have twenty minutes."

"You missed out the bit about Wrokstem's trial," said Rose almost instantly, leaning over slightly and looking down at his work properly. "That happened in nineteen tw-"

"Nineteen twenty two, I know," nodded Scorpius. "I didn't include it because it's not really relevant to her work with Werewolves. Technically she was charged with selling unlicensed herbs, which a lot of people assumed - because of her work - was being made to brew Wolfsbane. But if you look at the ingredients of Wolfsbane, you'll see there's absolutely no trace of Bloodroot."

Rose was silent, then narrowed her eyes slightly. "I see."

Scorpius suddenly felt very uncomfortable. Rose looked back down at her own work and started reading silently to herself. Scorpius looked at her for a while, then also returned to his work, frowning slightly as he looked back and forth between his text book and his notes, checking for anything he might have missed earlier. The time passed by in silence for both of them, the chatter from the other students making things only slightly less awkward. Finally, after twenty minutes, Professor Addams spoke again.

"Alright, class. That's all for today. Before you go, I want to remind you all that your O.W.Ls are only a few weeks away. You should be getting in as much studying as you can. And if you're schedule is particularly busy," he said, looking pointedly at Jones, "then I expect you to _make_ time."

Scorpius packed his things away and pushed himself up as everyone made their way from the class. Rose packed rather hurriedly and stood beside him. Scorpius wasn't exactly sure how to say goodbye, what with the weird tension that had somehow inexplicably built between them, but he didn't have to. He barely had time to open his mouth before Rose stormed out of the classroom with her nose in the air.

He blinked as he watched her retreating back, then shook his head.

He doubted Al had seen _that_ one coming.


	10. Chapter 10

Albus grinned as the team raised him up on their shoulders and held the fluttering snitch up in his hand

Albus grinned as the team raised him up on their shoulders and he held the fluttering snitch up high above his head. The resounding cheer was almost deafening, but Albus loved it. Several people started chanting his name at the back, and a couple of the girls at the front were all but swooning as the team made their way past with Albus still hoisted high. He could see Joanna, James, Hugo and Rose talking excitedly amongst themselves by the locker room entrance. He caught Joanna's eye and blew her a kiss, which she caught and tucked into her breast pocket with a wink.

Finally, they made it through the crowd and Gratski and Simmons lowered Albus carefully to the ground. "Good game," Simmons grunted, giving Albus a hefty slap on the back. Al grinned and tried to act as if he hadn't just had the wind knocked out of him, waving the team off before turning to turning to the others.

"You were brilliant," said Joanna, moving forward and kissing him on the cheek. One of the fluffy green and silver pompoms attached by springs to the Slytherin headband on Joanna's head nearly poked him in the eye, and he laughed as he reached up to flick it out of the way.

"Thanks," he said. "And Slytherin colours suit you, might I add?"

Joanna slapped him playfully on the arm and stepped back. "They were handing out Hufflepuff ones, too. Yellow just isn't my colour. But I'll be wearing red and gold when you play Gryffindor."

Albus laughed and turned to his brother, who had a black and yellow stripe painted across each cheek. "And you can get that muck off your face," he said, attempting to reach forward to wipe the paint from James' skin. James smirked and pushed Al's hand away.

"The day I cheer for Slytherin is the day dad learns how not to burn the potatoes." He grinned, then added "But well done."

Albus smiled. James was nice when he wasn't being an insufferable arsehole.

"We're all going down to the lake to have a party," Joanna said, "You know, in celebration of your victory and all that. You have to come. Declan Finnegan has rum." There was a wicked glint in her eye and Albus found it both amusing and incredibly alluring.

"Who's going?" he asked, looking around at the crowd who were still gathered, but now watching from a short distance away.

Joanna shrugged. "Everyone, really. Pretty much the whole of my year and above. You should bring the team."

Albus nodded. "Yeah." He looked around again, and frowned. "Where's Scorpius?"

"He…" Joanna started, paused, then licked her lips and started again. "He didn't come."

Albus' heart sank instantly. He'd really wanted Scorpius to be here, today. And Scorp said he'd come. Said he'd wanted to, even.

"I'm sure he was just too busy," Joanna added quickly. "I don't think he would have missed it on purpose if he could help it."

Albus nodded, though he was still disappointed. He looked up just as Lily came bouncing over, wearing silver and green pompoms identical to the ones on Joanna's head, and waving a miniature Slytherin flag. "Well done," she said, brightly. "That was a great game."

Albus gave her a smile and reached out to ping one of her fuzzy pompoms. She giggled. "Thanks, Lil."

"We're going to make our way down to the lake, now," Joanna said. "Are you coming, or are you going to go change, first?"

Albus looked towards the changing rooms. He was covered in sweat and his Quidditch jumper was starting to itch where it clung to his back. "I'm gonna go take a shower and change. But you guys go down to the lake and I'll meet you in about half an hour, ok?"

They all nodded and started making their way back across the pitch. Joanna gave him a quick kiss on the nose before running off to join them. Albus watched them for a while, then headed into the changing room for a shower.

He washed and dressed quickly, stuffing his Quidditch uniform into his bag and picking up his broom, before heading down to the dungeons. The Slytherin common room was empty. He figured they were all down by the lake, already. He had a quick look around, then made his way up to his dormitory. "Scorp?" he called as he pushed open the door. Straight away he could see the curtains around Scorpius' bed were drawn. Perhaps he was sleeping? He walked over to his own bed and placed his things on top of it - making a mental note to pack it away properly later - before making his way quietly over to the bed next door. "Scorp?" he said again, more quietly this time, taking hold of a curtain and pulling it slightly to one side.

Scorpius was sitting right up against the headboard, knees drawn up to his chest, with his nose deep in a book. He looked up as the curtain was pulled back and pushed his glasses back up his nose. "I didn't hear you come in," he said, quietly, then paused. "How was the match?"

Albus shrugged. "We won." He chewed the inside of his lip for a minute, then went on. "There's a party down by the lake, if you want to come? Everyone's going to be there."

Scorpius shook his head. "I can't. I have too much studying to do. We have our first exam in just over a month, Al."

Albus sighed; he'd known Scorpius was going to say that, even before he'd asked. But even so, he didn't want to give up at that. "There's rum, apparently. And lots of Gryffindors wearing Slytherin colours," he said with a grin. "It'll be fun."

"I can't, I'm sorry."

Albus looked down at the bedclothes, feeling somewhat deflated again. He'd hoped Scorp would at least come down for a little while, especially since he'd spent the whole match studying. He took a deep breath, feeling the disappointment at Scorpius' absence raise its head again. He bit his lip, and frowned slightly. "You said you'd come to the game," he said, almost in a whisper, then looked up again, shrugging. "Why didn't you?"

He could see the pained look on Scorpius' face, and part of him wanted to tell him that it didn't matter, just to make the look go away. But he needed to know.

"I've been too busy, Al. I'm sorry. It's just… these exams are so important and I can't afford to waste any time."

Albus felt his cheeks burn and he narrowed his eyes. "So watching me play is wasting time, is it?"

He'd said it before he'd thought of the possible ramifications, and almost regretted it. He wasn't really angry - just hurt. He caught the look of shock in Scorpius' eyes and was torn between apologising and letting Scorpius stew in his discomfort for a while.

"That's not what I meant," Scorpius replied, sounding defensive. He clutched tighter at the edges of his book and lifted it closer to his chest. Albus could always recognise Scorp's defensive gestures, and this was certainly one of them.

"Then what did you mean?" Al asked, earnestly. He honestly couldn't understand how an eighty minute game would do anything to damage Scorpius' grades. He refused to believe that was the reason.

Scorpius frowned and looked down at his book. The tension in the room was mounting; Albus could feel it and he didn't like it. "I meant that I have no time to do anything but study. You know how busy I've been." There was a silence for a while, and Scorpius sighed. "It's not that I don't want to. I just…" he trailed off and suddenly looked so hurt that all of Al's anger seemed to drain instantly from his body.

He looked at Scorp for a while, taking in the drooping shoulders and bowed head. He sighed and pushed himself to his feet; he wasn't happy, but he doubted arguing with Scorp was going to improve his mood. He didn't want to argue with him, anyway.

"Look… uh…" he started, the tension starting to get to him, now."I better get going. I'll see you later."

He turned and started making his way to the door, then stopped. Turning back round, he gave a small shrug and tried to look as casual as possible, despite the empty feeling in his chest. "You know, I'd really love for you to make my last game in a few weeks. Though, if you can't… don't worry about it." He hoped he didn't sound too passive aggressive, though he knew Scorp would probably think he was being so, anyway.

He turned and left before Scorpius could reply, heading hastily out through the Common Room entrance and along the dungeon corridor. There was a party waiting for him, and regardless of whether Scorpius was there or not, he was going to enjoy himself.


	11. Chapter 11

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Scorpius felt awful, but he watched Albus leave in silence, not realising until he heard the entrance to the Common Room close that he was clutching so tightly at his book his knuckles hurt. He let out a long, loud sigh and loosened his grip, staring blankly at the door through the gap in his curtains. Technically he could show up to the party later on, apologise and blame his absence from the match on studying. It would be believable, and not entirely untrue - he _had_ been studying, after all – but it was more than that that had kept him from the game. Two things in particular - namely Joanna and Albus' cousin, Rose. He had no idea what he'd done to annoy the Weasley girl, but her sudden coldness towards him at the end of their Defence Against the Dark Arts class the other day had been unmissable.

Of course, he could hardly tell Albus that was the reason he'd missed the game, since logically, he wouldn't even have had to have stood anywhere near them. Frowning as he took the time to digest this knowledge, he suddenly felt incredibly stupid. He'd let his friend down when he'd made him a promise, and all because some girl he didn't even know had taken a dislike to him. That, and the fact that being in Joanna's presence made him seethe 'till near blindness.

He sat in silence for a while, looking blankly down at the book propped up against his lap. He had already read the required chapters for next week's lesson – and more besides. He could go and join the party. At least for a while.

He pushed his bookmark deep into the crease of his book and closed it, placing it neatly on the bedside cabinet, beside his quill. He removed his glasses from the end of his nose and put them on top of his book, swinging his legs over the side of his bed and reaching for his shoes. Judging by the complete lack of noise coming from the Common Room, Scorpius assumed that the entirety of Slytherin House must be at the party; this would make his blending in much easier if at any time he needed to distance himself from Joanna, or Rose, or, indeed, any number of Al's screaming female fans.

He put on his shoes and stood up, grabbing his jumper from the end of his bed, before making his way to the party. He passed several long-faced Hufflepuffs as he made his way up the stairs towards the Entrance Hall, and suddenly found himself wishing he'd gone to the game. He felt a pang of guilt in the back of his head and vowed that he would make it to Al's next - and _last_ - game, no matter what. He heard the sound of people cheering and talking and shouting before he'd even made it out the door. The sun was still bright in the sky, but there was a slight breeze that blew several strands of un-combed hair into Scorpius' eyes as he made his way across the lawn, towards the large group of people sitting in amongst a cluster of trees by the lake.

He spotted Albus right away, he was standing in the middle of the group, flying an invisible broom, obviously re-enacting his winning capture of the snitch for the cheering crowd. Scorpius grinned as he watched him, standing back and leaning against one of the trees as Albus leapt forwards and made a rather elaborate grab for an invisible snitch before falling dramatically to the floor, with his arm held high in the air above him. Everyone cheered again, louder this time, and Scorpius could hear Nott once again simpering on about what an amazing Seeker Albus was and how he'd love to be able to play like him, one day.

Scorpius waited until the noise had died down a little before making his way over. He saw Joanna catch his eye and smile, before tugging on Albus' sleeve and pointing in his direction. Albus looked around and beamed when he saw Scorpius. "Scorp," he cried, shouting over the crowd's head. "You made it. I thought you had studying to do?" He made his way through the crowd and Scorpius grinned a little sheepishly.

"I did," he said, shrugging. "But I'm finished, now." He really didn't need to go any further into it than that.

"Well," said Albus, cheerfully. "Now that you're here…" He took Scorpius by the wrist and led him through the crowd to where he'd been sitting. Scorpius saw Lily and James Potter sitting nearby, and Rose Weasley not too far away, talking to another Gryffindor. She looked up as he walked past, caught his eye, then pointedly looked away again. Scorpius ignored it. "Try this," said Albus, thrusting a bottle of something towards him, catching Scorpius slightly off guard.

"Uh… what is it?" he asked, taking the bottle and looking at the blue liquid inside.

"It's some sort of Rum. Finnegan's uncle made it. I don't think anybody's quite sure what's in it that turns it blue, but it's powerful stuff."

Scorpius looked at the bottle dubiously. He'd never really been one for alcohol, and he was slightly apprehensive about drinking this mysterious blue substance. He raised an eyebrow and looked from the bottle to Albus, then back to the bottle. "Are you sure it's safe?" he asked.

"Well," Said Albus, grinning. "Nobody's died, yet. Or turned blue. Or disappeared." He laughed and gave Scorpius an encouraging nod. "Go on. If anything happens to you, I'll take full blame, okay?"

Scorpius sighed, and, totally against his better judgement, raised the bottle to his lips. The Rum burned all the way down his throat and he coughed, almost dropping the bottle as he hurried to pull it away from his mouth. "Sweet Merlin…" he wheezed, holding the bottle back out to Al. "What does Finnegan's uncle put in that? Crushed Dragon Beetles?"

Albus took the bottle. "I think that's what he said," he replied, thoughtfully, before taking another sip. He exhaled loudly and shook his head slightly. "Really packs a punch, doesn't it?"

Scorpius made a mental note to stay away from Finnegan's Rum for the rest of the party. He hoped there was some pumpkin juice going around.

"Come and sit over by us," Albus said, nodding in the direction of Joanna and his siblings. Scorpius' jaw clenched, but he said nothing. Today was Al's big day, and he wouldn't make a fuss. He followed Al over to a free patch of grass and took a seat, making sure to pick the side furthest away from Joanna, beside Lily Potter, who turned to him and beamed as he sat down.

"Hello," she said brightly, flicking a strand of bright red hair from her chin. "You're Scorpius, aren't you? You're Al's friend. Why do you never come to our house in the holidays?"

Scorpius blinked at her. What a strange way to greet someone, he thought. He was stumped. Luckily Al spoke before he had a chance to embarrass himself by mumbling incoherently at her. "Because mum is a miserable cow," he said, pouring more blue Rum into his goblet.

"Oh," said Lily, nodding. Scorpius was a little taken aback at her acceptance of this, and watched her for a little while, amused. She turned to him again after a while, still beaming, and continued. "Albus argues with her all the time about you, you know? I don't think she likes your dad very much, but I think she's being unfair, because she doesn't even know you."

"Shut up, Lil," said Albus, flicking a bit of Rum at her from his fingertips. "Go and talk to Hugo or something."

Lily pouted at Albus, then smiled once again at Scorpius before turning round to talk to her cousin.

"Sorry about that," Albus said, pouring Scorpius a goblet of what he hoped was pumpkin juice. "She's usually really quiet. I think she's had a few too many Ice Mice." He grinned and passed the goblet over. Scorpius took it and sniffed at its contents, nervously. "It's juice," Albus chuckled, obviously noticing the look of unease on his face.

He took a sip and was relieved to find that it was, indeed, just juice, and not some lethal concoction of alcohol and Merlin only knew what else. He hoped there would be no side-effects from drinking that. He couldn't afford to be ill, what with their first exam just around the corner.

The afternoon turned into evening, and the sun sank lower in the sky until long, dark shadows cast themselves across the lawn. The number of students had slowly been getting smaller and smaller as the evening had worn on, and there was now only a handful of Slytherins and Gryffindors left. Scorpius was happily chatting to a rather tipsy Albus about the prospect of Al playing Quidditch professionally, when a chill breeze blew in over the lake and made the hairs on his arms stand on end.

"It's getting cold, Al," he said, as Albus gazed happily up at the sky. "I think I'm going to go back inside."

"Yeah," Albus nodded, pushing himself to his feet awkwardly and swaying slightly. "Me, too."

Joanna stood beside him and put the jacket she'd been using to sit on over her shoulders, giving him a smile and taking his hand. "You're going to have a hangover tomorrow," she said, as the small group of them starting to make their way back towards the castle. Albus simply laughed and nodded. Scorpius looked purposefully down at the grass as they walked, until they reached the Entrance Hall.

He stepped in through the door and waited for Albus, who was currently wrapped around Joanna, and kissing her goodnight. Scorpius rolled his eyes and turned to count the notches in the doorframe until Joanna walked past him, gave him a smile, and made her way up the stairs to Gryffindor Tower.

He turned to Albus, who was smiling blearily at him and leaning against the door. "Where's the Common Room, again?" he asked, then hiccoughed.

Scorpius smirked slightly. "Downstairs."

"Oh, yeah," Albus nodded, and pushed himself away from the door. He stumbled slightly as he made his way towards the stairs, and Scorpius shook his head affectionately as he followed on behind him.


	12. Chapter 12

a

Albus looked down at his dinner plate and licked his lips hungrily. Sausages and mash had always been his favourite, and the gravy they served at Hogwarts was much nicer than the lumpy stuff their mum made them eat at home. He dug in heartily, pushing his cabbage to one side with his fork and helping himself to an extra sausage. It was rather amusing to watch the way the vast majority of students pushed aside their greens, and something of an oddity to come across a student who helped themselves to more of them. He wiped a droplet of gravy from his chin on the back of his hand and grinned, his mouth full of meat, as Scorpius sat down heavily beside him.

"'ere oo een?" mumbled Albus through his chewed food.

Scorpius tutted and narrowed his eyes, pushing his bag under the table. "Don't talk with your mouth full, it's disgusting."

Albus swallowed and grinned sheepishly. "Sorry," he said, licking his lips. "Where've you been? I didn't see you in the Common Room after class." He picked up his goblet and took a mouthful of pumpkin juice as Scorpius picked up his knife and fork.

"I've been in the library," he replied simply. Albus rolled his eyes and nodded, watching Scorpius cut his sausage into even little slices.

"Should've guessed, really," said Al. "What were you studying this time, then? You know, at this rate, you're going to be _teaching_ the classes instead of taking them."

"Defence Against the Dark Arts. I didn't get as much done last week as I would have liked."

Albus swallowed his mouthful and nodded. "Yeah, I heard about that," he said. "What did you actually say to Rose? She spent the whole of Muggle Studies bitching about you."

Scorpius sighed and Albus had to stifle his grunt of amusement as Scorpius helped himself to more cabbage. "As far as I know, nothing. She sat next to me at the start of the class, so we ended up working together. That's really all I can tell you. I have no idea what I could possibly have done to upset her."

Albus shrugged, he honestly didn't mind if the two of them didn't get along, even though he'd thought they would. It was just slightly odd, he thought, since Rose hadn't really been able to give him an answer on exactly why she didn't like Scorpius, either. He trailed his fork through his mashed potato, making wavy lined patterns across the surface, before scooping some up and shovelling it into his mouth. "She can be a bit hot headed, sometimes," he said after he'd swallowed, trying to reassure Scorp, who looked somewhat bothered by the conversation. "It's not like her opinion is going to affect mine, is it?" he grinned.

"No, I'm aware of that. And to be honest, it's no great loss, since it's taken me almost five years of sharing classes with her to even learn her name."

"Are you going to eat that sausage?" Albus asked, leaning over somewhat and looking at Scorpius' untouched sausage, buried under a mound of cabbage. Scorpius grinned and pushed the sausage out from under his greens and Albus had it on his own plate within seconds.

After dinner had finished, the students seemed to filter slowly out of the Great Hall, until only one or two were left finishing their second helping of chocolate sponge. Albus, having gorged himself on sausages, had declined dessert in favour of running his finger through what was left of his gravy and sucking it off the tip.

He watched as Scorpius finished up the last of his cake and licked the remaining chocolate sauce from the spoon, before placing it back in his bowl and pushing it away.

"Nice, was it?" Albus grinned, seeing the little satisfied smile on his friend's face.

Scorpius blushed a little and nodded as he licked some sauce from the corner of his mouth. "Better that last nights." He reached under the table for his bag and pushed himself up. Albus did the same and they walked out of the Hall and down the corridor together, slowly. Albus felt delightfully full and mellow and decided that he'd probably not be up for much other than relaxing on the couch for the rest of the evening. Scorpius looked just as comfortably lethargic, and as they got into the Slytherin Common Room, they both sank down into the couch at exactly the same time, with identical tired sighs.

They were both quiet for a while, as were most of the occupants, then Albus turned his head in Scorpius' direction. "Do you realise, in just under two months we'll have finished our fifth year? This year has gone so quickly, hasn't it?"

Scorpius nodded. "Do you realise, in just over a month we'll be taking our O.W.Ls?"

Albus knew Scorp was going to say that. He grinned. "And you'll ace them, and I'll be standing there at the end of the year, with my Quidditch trophy and a report card full of Ps and Ds…" he smirked as he used Scorpius' exact phrasing. Scorpius smirked back.

"Exactly. Then we'll see who spent their time more productively."

They both chuckled and Albus gave Scorp a playful punch on the arm. They sat in comfortably silence for a while, then Albus spoke again. "You, know…" he said, pushing himself up a little and turning to face his friend properly. "If you get anything less than an O on any of your exams, I will personally complain on your behalf."

Scorpius turned to him and smiled - a bright, huge smile that Albus very rarely got to see on Scorp's face these days. Neither of them said anything for a while, then Albus shrugged. "Or beat you up for slacking," he added, teasingly. Again they laughed, and this time the comfortable silence between them lasted for quite some time.

The large, oak Grandfather clock by the back of the room struck ten o'clock and Albus yawned and rubbed at his eyes, tiredly. "You have Arithmancy tomorrow, don't you?" he asked, and Scorpius nodded. "If Rose starts anything, just ignore her. She's likely just to keep to herself, though, so don't worry about it."

He doubted Scorpius really cared too much, since, as he had said, it really was no great loss to him. He was curious to know exactly what had gone wrong, however. Maybe he'd have another chat with Rose about it in Care of Magical Creatures, tomorrow.

He pushed himself up on tired legs and stretched, feeling his spine crack satisfactorily in various different places. "You coming to bed?" he asked, nodding vaguely in the direction of the dormitory. Scorpius stood up silently and headed towards the stairs. Albus quite liked these early nights, especially after a hard day like today, but he was rather looking forward to Friday again, since it was Ed Nevin's birthday and there had been rumours of a party circulating for the past few days.

He followed Scorp up to the dormitory and changed into his pyjama bottoms, climbing under the covers and lying on his back, one hand up and tucked under his pillow. "What are you doing over the summer?" Al asked, staring up at the dark canopy above him as Scorpius climbed into his own bed.

"I don't know. Possibly going to see mother's parents in Paris. You?"

Albus shrugged. "Dunno. Probably just go down to the beach or something, as usual. Lily says she wants to learn how to surf but I don't think mum's very keen." He grinned, imagining the look on his mum's face if he and James came home one day carrying a broken-legged Lily and a surfboard. He laughed inwardly at the picture and rolled over onto his side.

"There's one more Hogsmeade trip before exams start," he said, watching Scorpius' shadowy outline in the dark. "Do you want to go?" He was pretty sure he knew what the answer would be, and he braced himself for it.

"Sure," Scorpius replied. Albus grinned, taken somewhat by surprised, but quite pleased with this answer. He rolled onto his back, once again.

"Goodnight, then," he said, smiling into the darkened room.

"Night."


	13. Chapter 13

"Alright," said Albus, turning and walking backwards so he could face Scorpius as they made their way up the hill

"Alright," said Albus, turning and walking backwards so he could face Scorpius as they made their way up the hill. "So, you bring it to a boil and stir in the Salamander scales…"

Scorpius nodded, giving Albus a patient and amused smile. "Right."

"Then you stir in the beetle eyes and keep it on a high flame until it turns periwinkle blue."

"Correct." Scorpius could see the smug little grin on Al's face as they kept walking.

"Turn the flame down and let the potion simmer for a few minutes before adding diced ginger root and stirring until the liquid turns dark blue."

Scorpius could tell Albus was just reciting what he'd made him read hundreds of times, but at least he'd finally got it right. He nodded "Perfect," he said, trying not to snort when Albus nearly tripped over a clump of grass.

"So I've got that question sorted?" Al asked, slowing down slightly and turning round, falling back into step beside Scorpius. "Ask me another, then."

"Alright," Scorpius replied, thinking. "Give me Salfyra Saffrone's dates."

Albus took a deep breath, then paused. Scorpius turned to watch him as they continued on up the hill, almost able to hear Al's brain ticking over as he frowned in concentration. He grinned.

"Eighteen eleven 'till… nineteen thirteen?"

"When did she discover the fifth use for unicorn hair?"

"Eighteen fifty five."

"And the year of her coma?"

Eighteen ninety four."

"And the cause of her coma?"

"Eating a pixie toadstool. Yes!" Albus exclaimed, punching the air triumphantly. "I'm on such a roll. Ask me another."

"Who invented the Full Body Bind?"

"Uh…"

Albus frowned and Scorpius laughed at him. "It was Bobert Bingle. You should have known that one, since I saw your notes on it from last week."

Albus sniffed somewhat indignantly. "Alright, then. Ask me another one."

Scorpius sighed ad rolled his eyes. As shocking as the realisation was, he was actually getting quite bored of talking about work. He'd spend the past few days doing nothing _but_ talking about these things, and this was his day off. He wanted to enjoy Al's company without anything – or anyone – getting in the way. "Alright. Last one…" He pursed his lips as he thought, then smirked. "Okay, how many drops of toad saliva do you add to a Minimising Potion, and name two other key ingredients."

The grin on Albus' face surprised him. "Four drops of saliva. Crushed scorpion tail and Boomslang skin."

Scorpius smiled, both pleased and impressed that things seemed to be sticking, finally. He'd been nagging Al for weeks to pay attention and it seemed as if he'd finally taken on board the fact that their exams actually _were_ getting closer – and at a rather alarming rate, too. "Alright. No more questions."

"Well, I have one for you, now," said Al, staring off up at hill. Scorpius rolled his eyes again.

"Oh?"

"Yeah," Al nodded, and an even bigger grin spread across his face. "Fancy an ice cream?"

They reached the top of the hill and made their way through the cobbled streets, Albus stopping every now and then to look at something or other in a window. Scorpius thought the way he mooned so piteously over the latest Stratus model racing broom was quite amusing. "It's a breakthrough in sporting aerodynamics," he said as he finally managed to pull himself away from the glass, looking back over his shoulder at it as they walked. "There's not been a broom with those kinds of manoeuvring capabilities before. It's miles ahead of my Falcon."

Scorpius simply nodded and grinned, not informed enough to make any kind of comment, but finding Al's pining rather humoursly satisfying. They reached _Pru's Petit Laitier _after several minutes and took a seat at one of the round, white tables outside the shop window. Scorpius picked up the menu and looked through the list of different flavoured ice cream. He knew what he was getting, already, but it seemed like the thing to do – and the menu was rather impressive just to look at. There were flavours of ice cream here that he'd never seen sold anywhere else, like toasted marshmallow and chocolate, and melon and grape. Strawberry was always his flavour of choice, however, and nobody made a better strawberry ice cream than Pru. Her ice cream was almost legend.

He closed the menu just as Pru appeared at the table. "What'll it be boy, boys?" she asked, giving them both a warm smile. Albus closed his menu and nodded to Scorpius, signalling that he should go first. Scorpius cleared his throat and put his menu down.

"I'll have two scoops of strawberry ice cream, please," he said.

"And I'll have three scoops of mint chocolate chip, please Pru," Albus added. "And may I just say you are looking absolutely _stunning_ today. Did you do something with your hair?"

Pru gave him a smile and Scorpius could see her cheeks pinken slightly. "Yes I did, actually," she said, sounding completely caught off guard. "I had it cut on Tuesday. Nice of you to notice."

Albus nodded, making quite a show of looking at her hair. "Well, it looks great. Really suits you."

The charm was practically dripping off him and Scorpius was hard pressed not to scoff at it. Instead, he watched, open-mouthed, as Pru blushed and batted her eyelashes, before writing down their orders and making her way back inside.

"And that, my friend," Albus said, turning to him when Pru was out of sight, "is how you get free sprinkles."

"You're incredible," Scorpius said, shaking his head and trying not to smile. It wasn't funny, really, it was deceitful and morally wrong, but he couldn't help but find it incredibly clever. Just another example of why Albus was such a celebrity – he played the game so very, very well. Sometimes Scorpius wondered if the Sorting Hat had ever even _considering_ placing him in any other House but Slytherin. He also found himself wondering if Albus would have flirted so openly had Joanna been here.

He frowned and forced that thought from his mind. He wasn't going to think about her, today. This was _his_ time with Albus and he wasn't prepared to let her ruin it.

"Lily was asking after you this morning," Al said after a while, and Scorpius looked up.

"After me?" he asked, confused. "What for?" Automatically he imagined the worst, since he didn't seem to be having much luck with Albus' female relatives, but the small smile on Al's face and the shrug he gave him didn't seem to suggest anything negative.

"Dunno. She seems to like you. I think she wants to talk to you just because James doesn't want her to. He treats her like a child. She's going to whollop him one, some day." He smirked as he looked back down at the menu lying open on the table. "I just hope she does it when I'm around."

Scorpius frowned, a little unsure how to respond to the knowledge that his best friend's sister wanted to speak with him as an act of rebellion. It was a rather unusual thing to be told, really, so he just said nothing. He didn't really know Lily Potter, but she'd seemed friendly enough at the party the previous week. He supposed talking to her wouldn't be any great burden.

He watched as Albus continued to study the menu, not realising he was concentrating on the freckles on Al's nose until Pru's appeared at the table again, and he suddenly lost count.

"Here you go, my dears," she said, placing the two bowls in front of them and giving Al a quick smile before making her way back into the shop. Scorpius' ice cream had summer berry sauce poured very generously over it, but Albus' ice cream was heaped high with chocolate sauce, chocolate chips, multi-coloured sugar strands, whipped cream, wafers, and a single red cherry.

Scorpius' eyes widened when he saw the amount of confectionary piled on top of Albus' rather-larger-than-usual scoops of ice cream, then looked him in the eye. "It's really rather a good thing you're athletic, isn't it?"

Albus chuckled and nodded and got stuck right in.


	14. Chapter 14

f

Scorpius ran his fingertips along the spines of a row of large, leather-bound tomes. Albus was at Quidditch practice this afternoon and Scorpius thought that getting in some last minute studying would probably be a good use of his free time. The first exam was only nine days away, and Al's last game of the year only three days before that. It felt as if the whole world was closing in around them, and Scorpius' stress levels were through the roof. He'd made a pact with himself, though; that he would make sure to see Al's last game, since he'd chickened out of the previous one. He'd told himself it was due to studying, but he knew deep down that that wasn't the reason he'd missed it. The real reason was far more petty, and it wasn't worth seeing that disappointment on his friend's face again because of it. That only left him just over a week of studying, and he was determined to get the most of out those eight days as he possibly could.

His finger stopped on the dusty spine of a book entitled '_Magical Woods and Properties_' and he grinned to himself as he pulled it off the shelf. Under his left arm were tucked four other books, and the bag slung over his shoulder was heavy with even further reading material. He looked at the cover briefly, before making his way over to a table at the back of the library and setting up a work station. He always chose to study at the back; it was much quieter here, and if one could ignore the occasional couple snogging behind the Magical Remedies bookshelf, it was generally free from distractions, too.

He pulled his quill inkwell from his bag, before opening up his leather folder and leafing through various notes until he found what he was looking for.

_'Willow is associated with femininity, luck, and emotion. It is an ideal wood for magical wands and tools because it is already perfectly aligned to the movement of magical energy guided by will. It reacts to the will of the one who wields it, enhancing it accordingly. Therefore, the stronger the will, the more effective the wood._

_It is linked to the Moon and the planet Mars, and also to the elements of Earth and Spirit.'_

This was far as his last studying session had seen him. He'd noted down the page number on the corner of his parchment, so he flicked quickly to it, licking his lips absent-mindedly, and began to take further notes.

He noted down the properties of Rowan and Oak, Walnut and Bocate, before reaching Bloodwood and pausing briefly to remind himself that Al's wand was carved from Bloodwood. It was redder than any wood he'd ever come across before, and it had fascinated him somewhat when he'd first seen it. Suddenly very curious, he hunched forward over his book and read what it had to say.

_'Bloodwood has the ability to utilise elemental energies. The wood itself can channel and enhance the effect of all elemental energies, but the degree to which it can do so depends upon the person utilising the wand. For example: Bloodwood would enhance the ability of a Pisces to perform Water elemental magic far more greatly than it would a Leo. In the same vein, a Pisces might find it much harder to perform Fire elemental magic when working with the same wand, since that element is the opposite to their primary.'_

Scorpius raised an interested eyebrow and took note, wondering if Albus knew any of this - or even cared. It was unlikely, he thought, but he'd bring it up later, perhaps, if for no other reason than to save himself from listening to Albus waffle on and on about Quidditch for hours. Licking the tip of his thumb and forefinger, he turned the page in his book and continued to take notes on Ash, Maple, and Purpleheart.

He wasn't exactly sure how much time had passed; the sun had moved several feet across the floor and the library seemed slightly emptier than it had done previously. He stretched a little, arching his back and feeling his spine pop delightfully all the way down, then sunk back into his chair. He'd give himself another hour before he went and got ready for dinner. His stomach was beginning to feel rather painfully empty and his eyes were starting to ache behind his glasses. With a quick flex of his fingers, he picked his quill back up and hunched once again over his work. He'd been writing for all of five minutes before he was interrupted.

"Hello."

Scorpius jumped out of his skin and dropped his quill in terror. The voice had come from somewhere very close to his right ear and seemingly out of nowhere, since he'd heard no one approach. He spun round, with his heart in his mouth, only to come face to face with a beaming Lily Potter.

Instantly, Scorpius felt his face flush with embarrassment, and he cleared his throat before leaning down to retrieve his quill from the ink-splattered floor. "Uh… hi," he said, trying to sound as cool and nonchalant as possible, as if he hadn't just made a complete spectacle of himself.

Lily smiled brightly at him. "Hi," she said again. She sat herself down on the chair opposite him and leaned forward, resting her chin in both of her hands. "What are you reading?"

Scorpius blinked at her curiously, then cleared his throat. "_Magical Woods and Properties_," he said, lifting the book slightly so she could see the cover. "It's… uh… for my Charms exam."

Lily leaned further forward to look at the picture on the cover, then sat back again. "That's very interesting," she said, still smiling. "What's your wand made out of?"

Again, Scorpius blinked at her. This wasn't the Lily Potter that Albus had described to him. That Lily Potter was quiet, shy and retiring – this one, however, seemed the complete opposite. Both times she'd spoken to him she'd been strangely forward, and even though he found it somewhat unnerving, he couldn't help but be intrigued by her lack of reserve. "Ebony," he said, plainly, flicking absently through several pages before he found it.

'_Masculine and Feminine in equal measure, Ebony is best known as the most powerful magical wood._'

"That's cool," she said, reaching into her robe pocket and pulling out her own wand. "Mine's Rowan. James always teases me because he says Rowan is a man's wand, but I don't think it is." She twirled it a little and grinned. "Do you think it's a man's wand?"

"I… uh… no?" Scorpius said, feeling more than a little lost for words. It wasn't that he disliked Lily – he didn't know her well enough to dislike her – it was simply… well, simply that. He didn't _know_ her. He looked around briefly, in the vain hope that someone he knew would come round the corner and distract her, but no one did.

"I didn't think so," she went on, sliding her wand back into her robe pocket. She looked up at him again, flicking a strand of bright red hair from her face and Scorpius noticed, quite randomly, that the clips holding her hair back had small, fluffy bumblebees on them. "James says I'm not meant to talk to you, you know?"

Scorpius nodded, remembering what Al had said the other day. "I know," he replied, then ventured to ask. "Why not?" It wasn't as if it really mattered to him one way or the other if James Potter thought him worthy enough of his attention, but he was curious to know if there was any sort of logical reasoning behind it, just in case, for some reason, it started affecting Al. Not that it would, of course, but still…

Lily shrugged and rolled her eyes to the side a little, seemingly looking at the corner of the ceiling above Scorpius' head. "I don't know," she said, sounding a little distant. "Maybe because you're Draco Malfoy's son. Mum's always going on about your dad. It's annoying, actually. She and Al can get into arguments that last for hours, sometimes." She was silent for several moments after that, then smiled and returned her gaze to his face. "I think she'd like you if she met you, though."

This was probably the most awkward, surreal conversation Scorpius could ever remember having. He had absolutely no idea what to say. He was running his fingers back and forth over the corner of his book nervously, trying to think of some sort of response. He imagined he looked rather foolish sitting there like a goldfish, with his mouth hanging wordlessly open. "Er…"

"Are you going to Al's game on Saturday?" she asked after a while. The smile on her face didn't falter once.

Scorpius nodded. "Yeah," he said, relieved to have finally uttered a coherent syllable.

Lily nodded. "That's good. He's been hoping you would, but he knows you're busy so he didn't want to ask."

Scorpius felt his gut clench nastily and he tried to suppress his feelings of guilt. He _would_ make this game, he told himself again, pushing the pad of his thumb hard into the corner of the book, as if to emphasis this point.

"He's playing against Gryffindor, so James will be hoping he'll lose, but I always cheer for Al, whoever he plays. You have to root for family, don't you? I mean, that's only right, isn't it?"

Scorpius nodded, simply because he couldn't think of anything to say. Merlin, but he felt stupid right now. Perhaps he should make some sort of excuse and go back to the Common Room where he was less likely to be bombarded with impossible questions. He looked down at his book again and was just about to make up something about needing to go take a shower when Lily yawned and stretched across the table from him.

"I'm hungry. Dinner should he ready soon, shouldn't it?"

Scorpius shrugged. "Probably," he said, giving a small nod. She had to be right, since he could see through the library window that the sky was starting to turn a dark shade of orange. His stomach grumbled just then, as if hearing his thoughts, and Lily grinned at him. He felt his cheeks flush again.

"I'm going to go, then," she said, pushing herself up from her seat. "Nice to meet you, Scorpius. See you soon."

He watched her walk off, through the long line of bookcases, and out of sight round the corner. He kept his eyes fixed on the spot where she'd vanished for a while, then shook his head, frowning. What a spectacularly strange girl, he thought, reaching for his bag and stuffing his books inside. He wondered what Al would make of this when he told him.


	15. Chapter 15

Albus and the Slytherin Quidditch team held their brooms up above their heads as hoards of Slytherins and several assorted other House student flooded the pitch

Albus and the Slytherin Quidditch team held their brooms up above their heads as hordes of Slytherins and several assorted students from other Houses flooded the pitch. The noise was almost deafening; the cheering, the screaming, the calling of his name. He felt drunk, almost physically sick with excitement, and he _loved_ it. The snitch was still clutched tightly in his right fist, the shaft of his broom in the other – he could feel the huge grin on his face starting to make the muscles in his cheeks ache, but he couldn't seem to help himself. He looked around and noticed that he wasn't the only one. Michael Gratski turned to him and gave him a nudge with his elbow, his grin just as wide as Al's. "You played a fucking blinder, mate," he said, almost shaking as the horde of students finally reached them.

They all lowered their brooms, finding themselves almost instantly mobbed by House-mates, fans and well-wishers. Of course, Al got slightly more attention than the others, but they all seemed too chuffed to care. Al smiled at everyone, grinning playfully at all the girls who told him how wonderful and sexy he was – he never got tied of hearing that. He scanned the crowd surreptitiously, not wanting to appear rude to the girls trying to talk to him, but keeping an eye out for Joanna and his family. He wanted to see the look on James' face and rub his nose in it. He knew Joanna would take it all in her stride, but James was such a fun target for this kind of teasing. Al did love beating Gryffindor at Quidditch.

Finally, after several more minutes of playful flirting, he noticed Joanna making her way carefully through the crowd. She threw her arms around him when she reached him. "You were brilliant," she said, speaking into his neck as they hugged. He gave her a loving squeeze and kissed her on the top of the head, before moving back and snogging her soundly.

"Not too sore about losing, then?" he asked, grinning at the raised eyebrow that met his question.

"We just let you win," she replied. "Felt sorry for you, you know?" She couldn't hide the grin on her face, though, and Albus loved that she was always so brilliant about supporting him, even when he played against her House. He kissed her again, smiling, then looked up.

"Where's James?" he asked, really hoping he'd spot his brother's sour face over the crowd.

"He went back to the Common Room just after you caught the Snitch,"

Al frowned in disappointment and huffed. "That's a shame." He then shrugged and perked right back up, again - he had just won, after all. "I'll just tease the shit out of him next time I see him."

He received a gentle slap on the arm and one of Joanna's only half-serious looks of reproach. He laughed, took her hand and rubbed his thumb over her knuckles affectionately.

"Al," came a voice from the crowd. "Al." Lily's face appeared through the sea of students, Slytherin pom poms in her hair and green and silver facepaint plastered across her entire face.

"Hey, Lil," he said, grinning at the Slytherin decorations on his sister's head and wondering just how insanely furious it must have made James.

"Look who came," she said, and she gave a yank with her left arm. A rather shell shocked-looking Scorpius emerged from the crowd, his wrist clutched tightly in Lily's fist as she pulled him into their little circle.

Albus' jaw almost dropped. He looked blankly at Scorpius for a second, then smiled and all but threw himself at his friend, pulling him into a hug. "You came, you idiot. O.W.Ls are only three days away," he said, but he really wasn't chiding him at all. He was over the moon. He honestly hadn't expected Scorpius to come to this match – he'd been studying like a mad man, constantly, non-stop, almost twenty-four hours a day, every day, for over a week, now. He hugged him for a while longer, then moved back, regretting the hug slightly when he saw the pink flush rising on Scorp's cheeks. Hugging probably wasn't really Scorp's thing, Al figured. He grinned sheepishly and shrugged a bit. "Sorry 'bout that."

Scorpius smiled slightly and shrugged back. "It's alright." He looked down at the Snitch, still clasped tightly in Al's hand. "Nice catch."

Albus laughed, and was pleased when Scorpius joined him. "Thanks. So did you see the whole game? Did you watch it all?"

Scorpius nodded. "Yes."

"You saw that double team tackle work by Craig and Fitzy in the first half? That was brilliant!"

"It was," Scorpius agreed, still smiling. Albus was so pleased to see him smiling, especially in this setting. He could tell Scorp felt out of place in the crowd, but he wasn't trying to get away, he was here for Al, and Al was so grateful for that.

"He was holding his breath when you and Davies were chasing the Snitch, you know?" Lily chimed in, leaning over and grinning brightly at Al. Albus just swatted one of her fuzzy green and silver pom poms and she giggled and turned back to talk to her other friends.

"Quidditch slightly more interesting than you originally thought, is it?" Albus asked, giving Scorpius a sly grin. He was only teasing, and he laughed when that ever-familiar flustered frown knitted Scorp's brow.

"Don't think this means I'm coming to watch your every game," he said, and Albus shrugged again.

"Fair enough. I'm just glad you made it to this one." He paused, then smiled sincerely. "It really does mean a lot."

Scorp smiled back, then Al felt a tap on the arm. He turned to face Mark Davies, the Gryffindor Seeker, who was smiling and extending a hand. "Well done, Potter," he said, sounding quite chipper. "That was good game."

Al nodded. "Yeah it was. Close one, too. Thanks, mate." He waved Davies off, then turned back to Scorpius and smirked. "I can't _wait_ to tell James about that. He's going to eat his own face!"

The chatter went on for a while, students slowly filtering away until only a dozen or so were left on the pitch. Al's hand was beginning to sweat, clenching as it still was around the limply fluttering snitch, and now that the adrenaline rush was wearing off, he was starting to feel slightly exhausted. "I'm gonna take this stuff back to the locker room. You coming, Scorp?" he asked, gesturing to said locker room with his head. Scorpius nodded and they made their way across the lawn.

"So," said Al, slinging his broom over his shoulder and turning to look at his friend. "O.W.Ls in three days. How're you feeling?"

Scorpius snorted. "Not brilliant. Last night I dreamt I was being chased by giant text books, and kept tripping over words sticking out of the floor. I'll be happy when this is all over."

"Won't we all?" Albus laughed. They reached the locker room and Al lowered his broom to pull open the door, standing aside to let Scorpius through first. "Hmm," he said, raising his eyebrows as he stepped inside. "Doesn't stink as much as I thought it would. That's good." He propped his broom up against the wall and pulled the ball chest from the cupboard to put the Snitch away. "Usually everyone just throws their stuff in the corner for the house-elves to come and clean, and after a game like today's, it usually gets a bit rank in here."

He closed and locked the chest, before kicking it into the back of the cupboard. "I can't really complain, though," he said, grinning as he stood up and closed the door. "I do it, too."

Scorpius was sitting on the bench nearest the door seemingly staring at Al's broom. Al watched him for a while, then walked over, taking off his Quidditch robe and throwing it carelessly on a nearby hanger. "You want to take it for a ride?" he asked, picking it up and offering it to Scorpius. "It's really smooth and easy to handle."

Scorpius suddenly looked incredibly dismayed and shook his head, moving back on the bench, as if trying to press himself flat against the wall. "Oh… no. No, I'm not a very good flyer. I'd probably kill myself," he said, hastily. Albus grinned.

"You don't have to go very high, and if you sit up straight the broom will go much slower. It's really easy. Go on."

Again, Scorpius moved back. "No, really, I'm fine. I don't want to fly. I might damage the broom or something. I know how important it is to you." He sounded quite terrified, so Albus relented.

"Fair enough," he said, smiling kindly, before turning and making his way towards the broom closet. He stopped half way across the room, however, when a thought suddenly crossed his mind. He turned back to Scorp, a huge, almost maniacal grin plastered across his face. "Hey. How about I give you a ride?" he said, indicating to the broom. "It'll be great, and you can hold on to me, so you'll be perfectly safe."

Scorpius' eyes widened. "… what?" he asked, and Albus nodded, moving closer.

"I won't go too high or too fast or anything, and you can tell me to land any time if you don't like it." This was probably one of the most genius ideas he'd had for ages. He really wanted Scorp to know the thrill of flying just once. He couldn't remember ever hearing of Scorpius flying while they'd been at Hogwarts, and this was the perfect way to let him experience it. He headed towards the door, signalling for Scorpius to follow. "Come on."

"I really don't think I sh-"

"Please, Scorp? I swear I'll go slow and I'll stop straight away if you don't like it," he said, looking at him earnestly. "Please?"

Scorpius lowered his head and Albus suddenly felt that maybe offering _hadn't _been such a good idea. He bit his lip. "But you don't have to," he added quickly, not wanting Scorpius to do something he didn't want to just because he felt obliged. He'd had already come to watch him play, which Albus was still wildly ecstatic about, and it wouldn't be right to push him.

Scorpius looked up after a while, and gave Al a small grin. "Go on," he said, pushing himself up, and Albus almost squeaked with excitement as he made his way out onto the lawn. He straddled the broom, lowering the back end, and waited for Scorpius to mount. "Right," he said, suddenly adopting a very tutor-like air. "Before we do anything – you see those stirrups on the back, there, by the bristles?"

"Yes."

"When we take off, you'll need to put your heels in there. That'll help you keep your balance."

"Right," Scorpius said, sounding slightly nervous.

"You'll also have to wrap your arms around my waist - and try and sit in as tight to my back as possible, because when I turn, you'll need to move with me. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Ready, then?" Al asked, feeling butterflies in his stomach as he clutched the broom handle tighter. He felt Scorp grab him round the waist and almost laughed as he kicked off and raised them a good twenty feet off the grass. Instantly he felt the arms around his waist tighten and Scorpius weight pressed against his back. He couldn't suppress a chuckle, this time. "You got your heels in the stirrups?" he called over his shoulder, wanting to make sure everything was safe before he did anything else. He felt Scorpius nod frantically against his back.

"Yes," came the muffled reply, strained with fear. Albus grinned, raised them a little higher, then zoomed off towards the pitch.


	16. Chapter 16

a

Albus woke from a nightmare. They'd just lost to Gryffindor, everyone in the crowd was laughing at him, and they all had James' face. He sat bolt upright, his eyes wide, before he realised that it had been a dream and he was, in fact, safe in bed in his Dormitory – the Quidditch trophy still very much theirs. He let out a deep breath and grinned to himself, looking around to make sure he hadn't woken anyone else up in his panic. Thankfully his dorm-mates seemed undisturbed, and he lay back down, rolling onto his side and pulling the covers back up over his shoulders. It took him a while to figure out exactly what was wrong with Scorp's bed as he squinted at it in the dark, before he realised it was empty. He frowned and sat up again, reaching for his dressing gown and climbing out of bed to pad quietly across the room, to the door.

He carefully turned the handle and pushed open the door, wincing slightly as it creaked on its hinges, not wanting to wake anyone else up. He slid out through the gap between the door and the frame and pushed it gently to. He looked around the room for a while, then caught sight of a flickering orange glow coming from behind a bookcase at the far end of the room. He walked towards it, trying to avoid walking on the cold stone floor in bare feet as much as possible by hopping from carpet to carpet. He rounded the bookcase, and sure enough, there was Scorpius, hunched over a book, quill moving furiously as he wrote. Albus sighed and shook his head, walking towards him and pulling up a chair beside him. Scorpius jumped slightly as Al appeared at his elbow, but otherwise carried on writing.

"What are you doing, Scorp?" Al asked, using the crook of his elbow as a pillow and resting against the desk. "It's the middle of the night. If you don't get enough sleep you won't be able to keep your eyes open during exams, tomorrow."

Scorpius scoffed and carried on writing. "If I don't study enough there won't be any point me _going_ to any exams," he snapped, his eyes narrowing as he scribbled down notes and annotated certain pages in his text books.

Albus watched him for several moments, taking note of just how exhausted he looked. His hair was sticking up at peculiar angles, the circles under his eyes were dark and pronounced, and his eyes themselves looked red and puffy. Albus sat up and moved closer. "How long have you been up?"

Scorpius shrugged, not removing his eyes from the page. "I don't know. But I can't go to bed until I get this done."

"Get what done?" Al asked, frowning. "What specifically are you studying at this very moment?"

"Everything," Scorpius replied, and his voice cracked - Albus heard it. Scorpius ran his hand roughly through his hair, causing several stands to stand on end, then dipped his quill back in its inkwell as he turned a page in his book. Albus watched him again, watching the way his eyes watered and his cheeks flushed in what Albus could only discern was frustration. Albus had never fully realised, until this moment, how hard Scorpius had been working all year, and why. He was terrified of failing. Scorpius sniffed and wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand before going back to his notes. Albus took hold of Scorp's arm and pulled it away from his book, taking the quill from his hand and putting it down on the desk.

Scorpius let him, though he was scowling down at his unfinished notes as if they were to blame for Al's actions.

"Stop this, now, Scorpius," Al said, closing Scorp's book and pushing everything out of the way. "This is silly. Staying up all night, working yourself into a frenzy isn't going to help you, is it?"

Scorpius frowned down at his feet, looking as if he might explode at any minute. "I need to do well in these exams," he said, then looked up, his eyes brimming with unshed tears. "I can't fail, Albus."

"And you won't fail." Al was baffled and a little disturbed at Scorp's obvious distress. "How could you possibly fail? You've been studying constantly for months. You're one of the smartest people I've met. The day you fail an exam is the day Hufflepuff beat us at Quidditch." He gave a small grin, hoping to put Scorp at ease. He'd never really seen Scorpius so worked up about something, but then he guessed they'd never had exams of this importance to deal with, before.

Scorp was silent, just sat looking at his feet, frowning. Albus sighed and stood up, pulling Scorp to his feet, too. "Alright, look. This is what we're going to do." He grinned as he put a friendly arm around Scorp's shoulders and walked him away from the desk. "You're going to stop studying, and we're going to go down to the kitchens, alright?"

"It's three in the morning," Scorp replied, tiredly, rubbing at his eyes and face.

"Well, lucky we don't have far to go then, isn't it?" He let go of Scorp and turned back to grab the candle from the table – he didn't have his wand at hand, and the thought of going back up to the Dormitory to get it seemed a little too time-consuming. He made his way over to the entrance and pushed it open, turning and grinning at Scorpius. Scorp stood, looking blankly at him for a while, then took a deep breath and headed out the door. Al followed, making sure to close it behind them, then led Scorp along the corridor, down a single flight of stairs and over to the portrait of the fruit bowl.

"The great advantage of being Harry Potter's offspring," he said, as he tickled the pear and stepped into the kitchen, "is that the house-elves don't tend to question me when I pop in for the odd midnight snack."

He directed Scorpius to a large table in the middle of the room and sat down on the bench. "What do you fancy, then?"

Scorpius shrugged, looking as if Albus had just woken him from his sleep to take him here. Albus sighed.

"Do you honestly think there is _any_ chance of failing these exams?" he asked, seriously. Right now, there was nothing he doubted less than Scorp's ability to ace every single exam thrown at him, and he was confused at Scorp's trepidation.

"There's always a chance," Scorpius replied, sounding more depressed than he had since Al had known him.

"That's such a crap attitude. You've worked harder than anyone. Harder than is probably normal. There is absolutely no chance in Hell you could fail." He paused, looking to see if his words had any effect. "If people were putting odds on you to fail, I'm pretty sure they'd be so high, nobody in their right mind would even _consider_ placing a bet. The fact that you're even thinking about failure makes my brain hurt."

Albus was almost annoyed by Scorp's attitude – like it was some sort of personal affront. Scorpius had spent so many hours studying, given up so _much_ of his time that the fact he thought there was even a _possibility_ that he'd fail riled Albus, somewhat. What kind of ludicrously high standards were his parents forcing on him, anyway?

"I was trying to study tonight," Scorp said, looking down at the table. "I was trying to recap on all the things I'd studied so far… and I couldn't remember anything. I couldn't remember anything, Al." He looked up, his face flushed again. "How the Hell am I meant to pass these exams when I can't even remember they key ingredients to Wolfsbane?"

"You do know the key ingredients to Wolfsbane," Al said, matter-of-factly. "You're the one who told me what they were. You also know how long to brew it for, how long it keeps, and what colour it turns when you leave it to simmer for an hour. You're panicking because it's the night before the exams, but once you get in there tomorrow, you'll realise that you're actually a genius, and ace it. I know you will. _You_ know you will. In fact," Albus went on. "I'm _so_ sure you'll ace it, that if you don't I'll promise to give up Quidditch forever."

Scorpius shook his head, tiredly. "Don't say that."

"No, I mean it," Al replied, earnestly. "I'll sell my broom and never set foot on another Quidditch pitch for as long as I live."

"Don't be stupid…"

"I'm not being stupid." Al raised his voice slightly, then caught himself and took a breath, before carrying on more calmly. "That's how much I believe you'll walk these exams. Scorpius... you've helped me study for the past couple of months, now. I'm nowhere near as smart as you, but because of the help you've given me, I _know_ I'm going to get good marks. If I'm not worried about these exams, then I can't think of any reason why you should be." He smiled warmly at his friend, and was pleased to see the smallest of smile's on Scorp's lips in response. "You'll be standing there at the end of the year with your report card full of Os, smirking and gloating and telling me off for getting As and Es, and saying it's my own fault for not studying as hard as I should have."

"I'm expecting at least three Os from you, you know?" Scorpius grinned, his demeanour changing as if from nowhere.

Albus snorted. "Right. No pressure or anything, then?"

They both laughed, and Al called a house-elf to fetch them each a drink.


	17. Chapter 17

a

Albus pulled his tie open and let out a loud sigh of relief. The sun was high in the sky and there wasn't a single cloud – it was the perfect end to their O.W.Ls. Scorpius walked alongside him, flipping through his notes and frowning, muttering to himself occasionally, until Albus gave him a nudge with his elbow.

"What are you doing?" he asked, exasperated. "Exams are over. That's it. We're done. Finished. You can stop studying, now."

Scorpius shook his head, looking up only briefly before going back to his notes. "I'm not studying, I'm checking to make sure I answered properly. I wasn't sure about question seven and I…"

Albus took the book from Scorpius' hands and closed it. "A pointless endeavour if ever I heard one. You're likely going to give yourself a heart attack if you don't calm down." He tucked the closed book under his arm, grinning at the small pout on Scorp's lips as he lowered his hands to his sides. "What we're going to do now…" he paused. "Well… after we've put this book away and changed, is organise a party by the lake. You're going to relax and let your hair down, forget about exams, and we're all going to have a great time. Alright?"

Scorpius grumbled something, but Albus was in too good a mood to pay it any mind. Exams were finally over, and now they had the summer to look forward to. He was quite excited about going home, he rather missed his parents, and he was itching to go to the beach again. He wondered if he'd be able to take Scorpius to the beach, sometime.

"Aren't you worried about how you did?" Scorpius asked, following him through the Entrance Hall and down the stairs.

Albus shrugged. "Nope, not really. I did the best I could, I got fairly decent amount of studying in. I'm actually just glad it's over." He turned to Scorpius as they made their way along the dungeon corridor, towards the Common Room. "Aren't you?"

"Of course I am," Scorp replied, stepping into the Common Room. "I just hate waiting for results. I want to know how I did. I worked too hard to have to wait."

Albus laughed and pulled his tie all the way off as they headed up towards the Dormitory. Scorpius seemed to be panicking more now than he had done _before_ the exams had started. He pushed open the door and flopped down onto his bed, tossing the previously confiscated book onto Scorp's, and kicking off his shoes. "Are you going to calm down when you get your results?" he asked, turning his head in Scorpius' direction. Scorpius was sitting on the edge of his bed, scowling down at the floor.

"If I'm happy with them," he said.

"And what will make you happy?" Albus asked, as he sat and propped himself up on his elbows. "All Os? You know, you put too much pressure on yourself to be perfect all the time. Being imperfect is much more fun." He gave him a little grin and the corner of Scorpius' mouth twitched minutely. It was enough.

Albus pushed himself up and removed his robe, throwing it over the trunk at the end of his bed, and pulling his pullover off over his shoulders. "Alright, so. We head up to the lake from here. There'll probably still be loads of people hanging around outside, anyway – it's a nice day." He unbuttoned his shirt and threw it aside, before lifting an arm and sniffing under it. "Hmmm, not too bad," he said, and shrugged, rummaging around in his trunk for a t-shirt. "You not going to change?" he asked, but Scorp seemed to be too busy studying the embroidery on his bed curtains.

Al changed out of his school trousers and into a pair of comfortable jeans, and sat back down on the bed, pushing a few flyaway stands of hair from his forehead. "You _are_ coming?" he asked, suddenly realising that Scorpius hadn't replied, nor made any move to get ready. He wasn't going to let him skip this one. Before Scorpius could answer though, he shook his head. "No, sorry… let me reword that. You _are _coming!" He was relieved to see a smile spread across Scorpius' face, and he looked up.

"If I must," Scorp replied, standing up and shrugging off his robes. While he changed, Albus turned to the mirror to sort out his hair - it had started to wilt due to the heat and that wouldn't do at all. He did his best to keep it in place by running his fingers through it in various directions, then gave up when he realised that all he was doing was making himself look like a porcupine. This was his father's fault.

Once Scorp was ready, they made their way up to the courtyard, where most of the year was still gathered. He found Rose straight away, standing by the Entrance doors, talking to Anna in excited tones. He walked over to them, noticing that Scorpius had fallen behind somewhat. "Hey, Rosie," he said, giving the two girls a grin. "How'd you do?"

Rose turned to him and frowned. "First of all," she said, "what have I told you about calling me 'Rosie'? And secondly, I think I did very well. You?"

Albus shrugged. "Pretty good. Mostly due to Scorp's help," he said, indicating over his shoulder at his friend. Rose glanced at Scorpius and pursed her lips, before quickly turning her attention back to Al.

"Well done, then."

"Yeah. Anyway," Al said, changing the subject, quickly. "I wanted to tell you guys there's a party by the lake. I'm trying to get as many of our year there as possible. You two fancy coming?"

Rose turned to Anna, who smiled and nodded. "Sure," said Rose, turning back to Al. "We'll be there in a minute."

Al nodded, then made his way through the crowd, Scorpius walking beside him.

"Has she told you what is it I'm meant to have done, yet?" Scorp asked, glancing back over his shoulder at Rose. Albus shook his head.

"Nope. Just that you're an arrogant git, and… something about being so far up your own arse you're coming out your mouth?" he shrugged, grinning. He wasn't entirely sure how that was possible, but it amused him, nevertheless. Scorpius frowned, but remained silent as they made their way towards the lake. Albus stopped when he bumped into various people he knew and informed them of the party, telling them to go and spread the word to as many people as possible, and by the time he and Scorpius actually reached the lake, there was already a large group gathered.

"Hey, you," came Joanna's voice from just behind his right ear, as he felt two hands come to rest on his waist. "How did you do?"

He smiled and turned, giving her a quick kiss. "Pretty well, I think. I assume you did well?"

Joanna shrugged, wrapping his arms loosely around Al's shoulders. "Alright. Questions ten and thirteen were quite hard, weren't they? I had some trouble with those."

Al noticed Scorpius edging slowly away from him and Joanna and he gave Joanna another quick kiss, before disentangling himself from her arms. "Sorry, Jo, can I talk to you later? I told Scorp I'd spend time with him, today. I won't get to see him all summer."

Joanna looked a little taken aback. "Oh…" she said, then smiled. "Sure."

Al caught the look of disappointment in her eyes, and he felt awful, but Scorp was getting further and further away, and Al knew it wouldn't be long before Scorp would start making his way back to the Common Room. And he didn't want that. He gave Joanna another quick kiss and a smile, before making his way through the crowd and grabbing Scorp by the elbow. "So, what do you say we start a drinking game?" he asked, giving Scorp a wide grin. He turned and caught sight of Declan Finnegan, who, once again, was walking around with a bottle of blue rum.

"Hey, Finnegan," cried Al, catching the Gryffindor's attention. "Got any more of that stuff stashed away?"

Finnegan nodded. "Sure do. Want me to go grab a couple of bottles?"

"Of course," he said, then turned to Scorpius who was looking just slightly wary. "And we'll grab a load of glasses."

Scorpius didn't really have time to protest, as Albus grabbed him by the arm and lead him down to the kitchens.

"What kind of drinking game did you have in mind?" Scorpius asked, sounding dubious as they entered the kitchen and Al started going through cupboards and cabinets, looking for cups.

Al shrugged. "I dunno. Whatever people fancy, really. Truth or Dare. I Have Never. Spin the Bottle… you know, that kind of thing."

He finally found the expanding cabinet containing the goblets and charmed them to make their own way out to the party, floating two in a row, like dozens of little goblet couples holding hands.

"Right. You want anything else from the kitchen while we're here?" Al asked, putting his wand back in his pocket. Scorpius shook his head.

"Not particularly," he replied, and Al nodded.

"Alright, then." He grinned, and made his way back out the door, determined that this was going to be the best party of the year. It was their last night, after all, and they were all going to have fun.

He'd make sure of it.


	18. Chapter 18

Scorpius leaned lazily against the window, watching the North Yorkshire countryside roll past in a blur of greens and yellows

Scorpius leaned lazily against the window, watching the North Yorkshire countryside rush past in a blur of greens and yellows. The Hogwarts Express rocked gently as it sped along the tracks towards London, and Scorpius sighed, feeling less than ecstatic at the prospect of the long summer ahead. Currently, the compartment was silent - they'd been on the train for nearly two hours and he and Albus had already exhausted exploding snap and eye-spy. The small travelling chess set that Al owned currently sat on the small table beneath the window, abandoned mid-game, while the miniature chess pieces looked round at each other in confusion, unsure what to do. They went unnoticed, though, as Scorpius remained transfixed by the rolling countryside, and Albus made his way through a big bag of Bertie Botts.

Several quiet minutes passed, before Scorpius' rapt attention was broken by something hitting him in the temple. He frowned and turned to see Albus grinning at him, holding a Bertie Botts bean in his hand and taking aim.

"Don't be silly, Al," Scorpius said lazily. Albus threw the bean and it caught Scorpius on the chin. He turned back towards the window, trying to hide the grin annoyingly tugging at the corners of his mouth, and made a show of sighing at Al's immaturity. Another bean hit the back of his head and he lifted his hand to shield his face as he smiled amusedly to himself. It shouldn't be funny, really, they weren't little children, and this sort of behaviour really was beneath them, but he couldn't help but chuckle as yet another bean skimmed the top of his head.

He cleared his throat, forced his features into a sombre expression, and turned to face Albus. "How old are you, Albus?" he asked, as seriously as he could, under the circumstances. He fought hard to keep the grin from his face.

"Obviously young enough to find throwing beans funny," he smirked, popping one bean into his mouth and throwing another. Scorpius ducked sideways out of its path and cracked a smile, cursing his crumbling resolve as Al laughed at him. "As are you, it would appear."

Scorpius picked up a yellow bean that had landed on the seat next to him and threw it back, hitting Albus squarely between the eyes. "Now stop it," he said, trying – and failing- to sound stern, despite the grin on his face. "This isn't my mess and I'm not going to clean it up."

Albus chuckled and shifted over, sitting against the compartment door and stretching his legs out on the seat. "Fine, but it's your turn to think of something to do."

Scorpius sighed. "Couldn't we just talk? There aren't many games one can play on a train. You gave up on our game of chess after ten minutes."

Albus shook his box of beans and peered inquisitively into it for several moments. Scorpius watched him closely and found himself examining the crease of his brow and the way the freckles on his nose seemed to diminish in number when he wrinkled it.

"Are you going to France over the summer?" Al asked suddenly, and Scorpius shook himself, blinking as if he'd just woken up.

"Uh… probably," he replied, frowning slightly. "We do most summers. Mother has family in Paris."

Al nodded, shaking his box again. "Cool. I think Lily is spending a few weeks at Uncle Ron's with Rose and Hugo. James and I will probably just go down to the beach or play Quidditch in the field or something."

"Do you not go on holidays over the summer, then?" Scorpius asked, finding this slightly unusual. Since he'd known Al, he'd never spoken of going anywhere on holiday, apart from occasionally visiting various family members, which Scorpius found odd. Albus shook his head and shrugged nonchalantly.

"Not really. Mum says we don't really have any need to go anywhere, since we have the beach and the miniature railway just a stone's throw away. And the beach is pretty cool," he said, giving a small smile. "And the Aquarium." He shook his box another time, frowned into it, then pushed it to one side. "Only soap, vomit and sardine left."

Scorpius couldn't help but feel as if Al was missing out, not going away for the summer, but it wasn't really his place to say, and Al hadn't ever complained.

"Hey," said Al suddenly, moving his feet from the chair and leaning forward. "Did you hear Rose has been going around trying to start some sort of campaign against you?"

Scorpius blinked, then shook his head, confused. "No," he said, bewildered. "What campaign?"

"I don't know exactly, but apparently you must have done something to really piss her off. The last time I saw her this riled was when she got an E on a piece of Arithmancy homework."

Scorpius frowned and shook his head. He really hadn't done anything to her. He racked his brains for anything he may have said or done to cause offence, but could think of absolutely nothing. He remembered her sitting down next to him and their brief conversation about Sissy Wrokstem. They'd worked together during the lesson, then she'd turned cold. There was no logical reason he could think of that would account for her sudden switch in behaviour towards him.

"She seems to think you're a… how did she put it…? Oh, right – 'An arrogant dickhead.'" Albus grinned and Scorpius shook his head slowly, as if he couldn't quite believe what he was hearing.

"And she didn't tell you what I'm supposed to have done?" Scorpius asked.

Albus shook his head.

"Is there any history of mental illness in your family?"

Al snorted and Scorpius was about to probe further, to try and get a better idea of exactly what to expect from this Weasley girl, when the compartment door slid open and Lily Potter stepped inside.

"Hello," she said brightly, smiling at them both in turn. She closed the door behind her and sat down beside Scorpius. "Arabella wanted to play Hide and Seek, so I said she should count to one hundred while I went and hid."

"You're not doing a very good job of hiding," Al informed.

Lily shrugged. "No. But then, there's only so many places you can hide on a train, really, aren't there?"

Scorpius had to admit she had a point.

"What are you two talking about?" she asked, turning to Scorpius, who instantly felt as if a Hippogriff had just perched on his shoulders.

"Uh… nothing, really," he said, looking briefly to Al, who seemed quite amused. He turned back to Lily, who was still beaming at him, and continued. "We were just discussing what we were both planning to do over the summer."

"Oooh," cried Lily, sitting up straighter. "You should come over to our house one day. I'm sure we could talk mum into it. Al could take you to the beach and show you around the valley."

Scorpius felt his cheeks burn again and he swallowed thickly. "I… uh…"

"You know, Lil," Albus interrupted. "When you move your mouth, this weird sound comes out."

Lily lifted her hand and stuck one finger up at her brother, which caught Scorpius quite off-guard. He laughed, then quickly tried to pretend he was clearing his throat.

Lily looked at him, grinning, then lowered her hand. "You should ask your mum and dad if you can come. We have a mini steam railway nearby, and I'm sure Al has told you about the beach? It has caves and you can buy ice cream and doughnuts along the seafront."

Scorpius looked up at Lily again and suddenly felt a sort of hollow ache behind his ribcage. He'd never really thought about going to Al's house before – the prospect was a little terrifying. He'd have to meet Al's mum and dad; a dad who was famous the world over, and a mother who seemed to detest his very existence. And he'd have to spend time with James Potter, who seemed like a git at the best of times, anyway. He also doubted his own parents would be very warm to the idea – especially his father.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but realised he couldn't think of anything to say. Thankfully, Al came to his rescue.

"Would you stop pestering my friend?" he said, picking out a bean from his discarded box and lobbing it at Lily's head. "Can't you go and annoy someone else?"

Lily pulled a face at him and stood up. "Fine," she said, flicking her hair off her shoulder. "I'll go hide in Robert's compartment, then. I know he's not a selfish prat." She said it with an almost jovial tone, and even though she was scowling, there seemed to be a hint of amusement in her eyes. Scorpius assumed this was a usual exchange between the two and didn't feel quite so bad when she gave him and Al a playful grin before leaving and shutting the compartment door behind her.

The rest of the journey was enjoyably peaceful, with blessed few interruptions. They discussed sweets and the pointlessness of nasty flavoured Bertie Botts, what they both thought their sixth year was going to be like, and, of course, Quidditch. The one thing they didn't discuss, Scorpius noted, was the prospect of him going to Al's house over the summer. He assumed Al had been having the same thoughts and doubts about it as he had, and it felt safer just to avoid bringing it up altogether.

By the time the train pulled into Platform 9 ¾ the sun was already beginning to dip in the sky. The journey home always seemed to take much less time than the journey there every year, and Scorpius was always surprised that it so dark by the time they left the station. He helped Al pick up the scattered beans and pack his chess board away, brushing hands with him in the process and blushing profusely. He quickly stood up and stepped back, turning to hide the colour in his cheeks as Al finished putting things away.

"We get our results in two weeks, don't we?" Al asked, pulling his bag down off the luggage rack after he'd finished and letting it thump down onto the chair. Scorpius nodded and pulled his own bag down, slightly more carefully than Al had.

"Yes." He felt his stomach tighten somewhat and frowned as he tried to push that from his mind. There was no point in panicking about it, now. School was over for the summer and there was nothing he could do to change his results, anyway.

"You going to write to me and tell me what you got when you find out?" Al asked. He pushed open the door and stepped outside, holding it for Scorpius, who followed immediately behind. Scorpius nodded as they made their way along the corridor.

"Of course," he replied, grinning at his friend as he descended the stairs and stepped off onto the platform. "And I want to know yours, too. Remember, I wanted at least three Os from you."

Albus chuckled, and put his case down on a nearby trolley.

Scorpius smiled, then caught sight of Al's parents over Al's shoulder and felt his heart sink. "You parents are here," he said, nodding in the Potters' direction.

Al turned and waved at them, and Scorpius avoided looking at Mrs. Potter by concentrating instead on Lily, who was running towards her father with arms outstretched.

"Well, I guess I better go, then," Al said, turning back and giving Scorpius a weak smile. "Don't want mum nagging me after I've only just got here."

He grinned and opened his arms, moving forward and giving Scorpius a tight hug. Scorpius froze for a moment, then wrapped his arms loosely around Al's waist, almost afraid to hold him too tightly – as if he were something precious. He lowered his head until his cheek was pressed lightly against Al's shoulder and closed his eyes, inhaling deeply He lifted his head back up again quickly, though, when he felt his lips brush accidentally against Al's neck.

"You have a great summer," Al said, then moved back. "Have fun in Paris."

Scorpius knew he was blushing again, but there wasn't much he could do to hide it at this proximity. He simply smiled back and nodded. "I'm sure I will. You have fun at the beach."

They both stood and looked at each other for a while, then James called Al's name and Albus rolled his eyes. "See you soon, Scorp." He gave Scorpius one last big smile, and turned and made his way over to his family.

Scorpius watched him for a few moments, as if in a daze, keeping his eyes on Al's messy hair until the crowd swallowed him and he was lost from sight. He stood on the platform, motionless for some time, staring off into the distance, before a hand on his shoulder brought him out of his reverie. He turned and smiled.

"Hello, mum."


	19. Chapter 19

a

Albus bounded down the stairs and swung round the doorframe at the bottom, making his way through to the kitchen. James was already sitting at the table, and Lily was helping Harry mash the potatoes whilst Ginny prepared the gravy. He loved his mum's home cooking; it beat the pants off the stuff they got at Hogwarts. He always forgot just how good a proper Sunday roast was until he came home for the holidays, and then he'd miss them for weeks after going back.

Lily carried the bowl of mashed potato over to the table when she'd finished and sat down beside Albus. He leaned over to look at the contents of the bowl and reached over to scoop some up with his finger. A hand slapped his away and he looked up sheepishly at his mum, who was scowling down at him and holding a plate of roast beef. "Don't stick your fingers in the food, Albus Severus Potter. Other people have to eat that."

He took his hand back and felt his cheeks flush slightly. "Sorry, mum," he said, then turned to frown at James who was snorting quietly into his hand. He gave him a swift kick under the table and was satisfied with the flinch and swallowed swear-word he received in response. Lily rolled her eyes next to him and started tracing the shapes on her placemat with the tip of her index finger.

"You get your results this week, don't you?" Harry asked, carrying over a plate of beans and taking a seat at the end of the table. Al nodded, and felt his stomach tighten slightly. He'd not really given his results much thought until that moment. He'd been pretty complacent about the idea, to be honest, but hearing the words come out of his dad's mouth suddenly seemed to add some greater importance to the matter. "How do you think you did?" Harry continued, turning in his chair to face Albus properly.

Al shrugged. "I dunno," he said, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible – he'd never been one to stress about anything too much. "Pretty good, I guess." He hoped he'd done a semi-decent job, anyway – he'd promised Scorpius at least three Os.

He suddenly thought of Scorpius and his own sense of anxiety lessened somewhat when he thought about how out-of-his-mind Scorp was probably going. He was likely sitting in his room, rocking back and forth, completely bald from the constant tearing at his hair, nails bitten to oblivion, watching the sky for any sign of an owl. Al grinned at that image and felt instantly eased once again. He wasn't a genius like Scorp, but he knew he hadn't done badly, and as long as he didn't fail, he was alright.

Ginny finally joined them at the table, placing a plate of Yorkshire puddings and roast parsnips in the centre of the table and sitting opposite her husband. "Help yourself, then."

Albus went straight for the Yorkshires, grabbing two in one hand and a third in the other, smirking at the disappointed look on James' face that he'd snagged the biggest one. He helped himself to beef, potatoes and a small amount of beans, and completely ignored the parsnips, deciding instead it make up for it by drowning his dinner in a gallon of gravy.

He tucked in instantly as the others continued to pass bowls and plates back and forth across the table, noting with a grin that most of the potato was gone by the time it reached James' end of the table.

"So," said Ginny after they'd all settled into the dinner. "Which exams do you think you did best in?" She was trying to sound casual and off-hand, but Albus could hear the subtle hint of suspicion in her voice. Albus knew that tone, she'd used it last year when she'd asked James the same question. It was like she was expecting him to slip and tell her that he'd actually done no work and hadn't even turned up to the exams, at all. Albus swallowed his mouthful of beef and Yorkshire pudding and shrugged again.

"Not sure. They were all pretty okay." He thought about it for a moment, then went on. "Probably Transfiguration and Potions, though." He saw a small triumphant smile flit across his mum's face and knew it was because he'd mentioned Transfiguration. She seemed to have a thing about him excelling at typical 'Gryffindor'-type activities. That was probably where James got it from. It certainly didn't come from their dad, at any rate.

"That's good," Ginny replied, nodding. "Did you get in plenty of studying? I still regret not studying more than I did. My Potions marks suffered for it."

Albus nodded, grinning to himself when he thought about the amount of pestering Scorpius did on the run up to exams. He could hardly have got away with not studying. "Yes," he said, rolling his eyes playfully. "I got in plenty of studying."

"Scorpius was helping him," Lily chimed in, grinning as she swirled gravy into her potato.

Albus went stiff for a moment, then took a breath and looked down at his plate.

The table was silent for a moment, then Ginny nodded stiffly. "That's good," she said, rigidly. It was painfully obvious that she'd rather have not heard that, and everyone on the table seemed to be thinking the same thing. Al glanced at his dad who was giving Ginny a slightly exasperated look, but said nothing.

The silence settled over the table for a while, like a film of dust, then James sat up and leaned forward. "Could you pass the beans?" he asked, pointing to the bowl by Al's plate. Albus nodded, glad for the change of topic, and passed James the bowl happily, going back to his food and finishing off the last of his potato.

"Do you three have anything planned for the summer, this year?" Harry asked as Al pushed himself up from the table and took his plate over to the sink.

"I'm going to see Hugo and Rose," Lily said, brightly.

"I know, Lil," Harry nodded. "I spoke to Uncle Ron about that last week."

Al rinsed his plate under the tap and turned round, leaning against the counter. "I'm going up to Durham to visit Jo in a few weeks."

"Are you, now?" Ginny asked, raising an eyebrow, giving Al a sideways glance.

Al sighed. "Sorry," he said, correcting himself. "_May_ I go up and visit Jo in a few weeks?"

Ginny nodded. "Of course you can, dear."

Al frowned. He hated it when she did that.

"Al, ask if Scorpius can come over some time," Lily said, standing up and walking towards the sink with her plate. Al hung his head and shook it tiredly – he could see where this was heading and he wasn't in the mood for a fight, not when he'd only been home a couple of days.

There was another uncomfortable moment of silence, then Ginny cleared her throat. "I don't think so, dear," she said, helping herself to more beans that Al knew she didn't want, just so she had something to keep herself looking occupied.

"Why not?" Lily asked, putting her plate in the sink and turning to face her mum.

Albus groaned inwardly and looked over at James and his dad. They were both wearing looks identical to the one he knew was plastered on his face, and it was almost enough to make him laugh. Almost.

"I don't think he'd want to come over here, Lily," was Ginny's clipped reply, and it was obvious, as it always was, that the conversation was about to start spiralling rapidly out of control.

"I think he would," Lily came back, her own voice slightly raised. "I think he'd love to come and visit Al and go down to the beach and see the aquarium."

"Lily…"

"You know, you're not fair to him at all. I spoke to him this year and he's really very nice. He reads a lot and he's really smart."

Albus sighed and watched Lily's back, feeling somehow like he should step in – it was his friend they were discussing, after all – but Lily had started this, and he couldn't deny that it felt good to have someone else on his side, for once.

"Lily, we're not going to discuss this," Ginny snapped. She was growing impatient, and Albus could see her ears starting to turn pink. "I've said before, many times, that that boy…"

"Scorpius," Lily interrupted, angrily.

Ginny stood up quickly from the table, her chair scraping loudly against the tiled floor. "I am not discussing this with you. I get it often enough from Al, I don't need it from you, too."

"If you gave him a chance then you wouldn't have to 'get it' from either of us, would you?"

Albus smirked, feeling secretly proud of Lily. She was arguing his point for him and _she_ had been the one to initiate it. Part of him felt like he should join in, but he'd had this argument with his mum so many times that it felt somewhat refreshing to hear his words coming from another person's mouth for a change. He was quite content just to watch it unfold, and, as he glanced over at the other two, he saw they were, too.

"You have been home four days, Lily. I don't want to argue with you. This is the end of this discussion. Now… go outside or something."

Ginny sounded flustered and Albus was sure she didn't appreciate the audience. He caught her eye as she glanced in his direction and gave her a small, triumphant grin.

"Clean the table," she cried, before walking angrily out of the room.

The silence left in her wake was broken by the sound of Harry snorting. Everyone turned in his direction, stared at him for a moment, then joined in.


	20. Chapter 20

Dear Scorp,

_Dear Scorp,_

_I think the Potter household has set a new world record. Our first Malfoy-related argument, and we're only a few days into the summer. And what was amazing was that it was between mum and Lily. I would have joined in, - you know I'd stand up for you any day – but I was so shocked to see Lily and mum going at each other that all I could do was watch. It was brilliant. Dad thought it was hilarious, but he told her to go and apologise for shouting, anyway. You should have seen it, it was brilliant._

_You got your results, yet? I haven't. They're due this week, aren't they? I'm feeling pretty good about mine, now. I got a little panicky when dad brought it up the other day, but I'm over it. I bet you're shitting bricks, aren't you? Haha._

_Hows your Mum and Dad? Mine are good. Dad's been itching to play one-on-one Seeker with me. He's really proud that we won the Quidditch Cup, though James keeps whining and telling Dad he shouldn't be encouraging me. Dad said the day James plays Quidditch for Gryffindor is the day he can complain. Dad is brilliant._

_Lily's made me a friendship bracelet in Gryffindor colours. I hope she doesn't expect me to wear it._

_Talking of Lily, she's heading off to Hampshire to stay with my aunt and uncle for a few weeks next weekend. The house will be nice and quiet for a while. Well, until the next argument breaks out. You know, I never realise just how much I miss mine and mum's arguments until I get home in the holidays._

_Rose and Hugo seem fine, though Hugo's been hinting in his letters to Lily that he knows something secret about Rose. I wonder if it has anything to do with her war against you? Maybe she's building up an army? You're going to need reinforcements if that's the case, 'cause I'm not getting in the way of a hoard of angry girls. They pinch and scratch and bite. There's no defence against that, and you can't punch them._

_If she is building an army, then I'm afraid you're on your own, mate. Good luck with that._

_Anyway, that's all for now. Write back as soon as you can, and if your results come in, TELL ME!_

_Talk to you soon,_

_Al._

_Dear Albus,_

_Please thank Lily for standing up for me, but I really don't want to cause rifts between family members. It's quite alright if your mother doesn't like me._

_I don't have my results, yet. I think they're due on Friday or Saturday, but I'll be sure to let you know what I got as soon as they come through. And yes, as you so gracefully put it, I am 'shitting bricks', and your ambivalence is somewhat irksome. Curse you and your casual airs, Albus Potter._

_My parents are very well. Father is working hard at the Ministry, and Mother has been back and forth to France since the beginning of June, it seems. Some family matter. I've seen her only once since returning home, but she seemed in good spirits. I think we will be off to France in mid-August, so I have a few weeks at home before we leave. How are you spending your free time? Apart from playing Quidditch? You can't see it, but I'm rolling my eyes at you right now._

_I think you should wear the friendship bracelet._

_As far as your cousin in concerned, I'm quite scared enough to believe she may actually be doing just as you say. If that is the case, then I hold you personally responsible. You introduced us. It was your idea that we should meet in the first place. If I die at the hands of your deranged cousin, Albus, may it be on your head. I'll haunt you forever and make every waking moment of your life a living Hell – and don't think I'm joking._

_I will let you know as soon as my results arrive, and I expect the same from you._

_Write again soon,_

_Scorpius._

_Al,_

_My results just arrived. They are as follows:_

_Potions: O_

_Arithmancy: O_

_Charms: O_

_Transfiguration: O_

_Ancient Runes: O_

_DADA: O_

_I can relax now. What did you get?_

_Scorpius._

_Scorp,_

_That's brilliant!! I TOLD you you'd get all Os, didn't I? All that worrying for nothing. I knew you'd ace it._

_I got an O for Transfiguration, Potions and Muggle Studies. So there's my three Os, as promised, haha. I also got Es for Charms and Care of Magical Creatures, and an A for Herbology. No failing for me, then. Ha. You impressed?_

_Rose got all Os, except Arithmancy. She got an E for that. I told her you got all Os, just to wind her up. Her face turned a funny shade of magenta. She's out for your blood, now, mate. Lock your doors and sleep with one eye open and all that._

_But seriously, well done. I knew you'd do well. Now you can calm down and stop being such a swot. We don't have any exams next year, so you have no excuse for missing my games and not coming out to Hogsmeade with me. If I see you studying even once on a weekend, I'll glue all the pages in all your books together. Got it?_

_Anyway, I'm off to the beach for a bit. I'll write again, soon._

_Al._

_Al,_

_Yes, fine. You were right. And you can gloat about that if you like, but I got all Os, so clearly I am the winner here._

_But I'm really glad you got your three Os. You did very well, Al. I'm proud of you. However, this does not mean that you can start slacking off and not doing assignments and homework just because we have no exams. I'll be kicking you up the backside if you see you procrastinating too much, so you're not in the clear, yet. This next year is in preparation for our N.E.W.Ts in seventh year, so I expect you to study and take notes._

_And thank you so much for riling your cousin up even further. My parents will be eternally grateful for it when they're scraping their only son's splattered remains off the ceiling._

_Talk to you soon._

_Scorpius._

_Scorp,_

_Nope. Not studying. I shall be shopping for glue next week. You have been warned._

_Also, N.E.W.Ts are two years away. There will be plenty of time to study for those in seventh year. I don't plan on wasting this next year stuck nose-deep in a pile of text books, and I don't plan on letting you do it, either. It's Lily's turn to worry about exams, next… and James', come to think of it. He'll be doing his N.E.W.Ts, next year. Ha! Oh, that's perfect. I'll distract him so much he'll get all Ts and mum will kick his arse. Brilliant._

_Lily's off to stay with Hugo and Rose this weekend. I'm wearing the bracelet she made me, by the way._

_Oh, talking of Rose, I have some rather interesting news. Seems she doesn't hate you quite as much as she's been letting on. A little birdie tells me that my dear cousin is harbouring a secret, little crush on you. Isn't that sweet? Perhaps she won't kill you after all. Maybe it's slightly more than just your blood she's after, eh'?_

_You two should go out. Want me to fix you up? That would be brilliant. Imagine how boring your children would be, haha._

_Anyway. Must dash. Mum's making noise about the state of the living room. Probably shouldn't leave my Quidditch gear lying around._

_See ya'._

_Al._


	21. Chapter 21

Scorp

_Scorp,_

_I've been up in Durham for a week and I'm due home tomorrow. I'm meant to be leaving at three, but I have a plan. _

_Can you get to a Floo-connected fireplace by about midday, tomorrow? If so, tell it to take you to The Golden Banner in Newquay. It's a Wizarding pub not far from the beach - I'll meet you there. If you're not there by one, I'll assume you can't make it._

_See you soon, then._

_Al._

Albus checked the clock again, sipping on his third glass of Butterbeer. It was twelve thirty-eight and there'd been so sign of Scorpius, so far. His bag was tucked under the table, out of the way, and Albus found himself absent-mindedly kicking it every now and then to pass the time. He sighed and put his glass down, trailing his fingers through the various puddles of spilt liquid on the table. He drew a broom and a Snitch, then his initials, before taking his glass and ruining all three pictures by sliding it through them. He looked at the clock again – twelve forty-two. He was starting to think Scorpius probably wasn't coming.

He wanted to leave. It would be nice to dump his bag off at home and come down to his mum's Sunday roast, but he'd promised Scorpius he'd wait for him until one o'clock, and he wasn't about to break a promise. Sighing again, more out of frustration than boredom this time, he finished off his drink and pushed the glass away.

He sat and stared at the fireplace intently, as if willing Scorpius to appear. About three people had arrived by Floo since Al had sat down, and each time Al's hopes had been raised and squashed as the flames had cleared and he'd realised that it wasn't Scorpius.

He was contemplating whether he should get another drink when the fireplace roared with green flames again. Albus almost didn't bother turning to look this time, but there was something about the way the figure stepped down from the stone hearth and didn't move that piqued his curiosity. A huge grin spread across his face as he met Scorp's eyes and he stood up, beckoning his friend over.

"What time do you call this?" he asked, grinning as Scorpius made his way over and sat down.

Scorpius sighed. "Sorry," he said, leaning forward in his chair. "I had to wait for mother and father to leave. They're going to lunch with some of father's business partners, I believe."

Albus snorted. "Sounds riveting."

"Quite." Scorpius looked around briefly. "Are we staying here?"

Albus wasn't sure if that was Scorpius being a snob, or if he was just hungry. The smell of roast pork had suddenly become very strong and Al heard his own tummy rumble. But no, they weren't staying. "Nope," he said, stretching and pushing himself up, grabbing his bag from under the table. "I'm taking you to the beach."

Scorp got to his feet and Al led them from the pub and down towards the road. They passed through a large wheat field and a small, densely-wooded thicket and waited by the road until there was a space between the cars before dashing across.

"If I die today, Albus Potter…"

"You won't die," Al chuckled. "Come on."

They walked through the small town centre, down a narrow cobbled lane, and emerged on the other side with nothing but golden sand in front of them, and the sea stretching on forever.

"Welcome to Towan Beach." Al said, grinning, almost triumphantly. "Like it?"

Scorpius nodded, looking around. "It's very nice."

Al watched him with an almost child-like excitement on his face. It felt quite surreal to have Scorpius finally here. Like he was mixing two colours together for the first time. He felt a huge wave of warm satisfaction engulf him suddenly and he moved on again. "Come on."

He made his way down the stairs, beside a large white building, Scorpius following on just behind him. "This is the Aquarium," he said, nodding his head towards the building. "We go in here sometimes when we get bored. They have this huge fish the size of Lily in the tunnel." They reached the bottom of the stairs and made their way along the promenade, walking alongside each other as Al pointed out various different places of interest. He pointed out all the specialty ice cream shops, making sure to mention which one was his favourite and why. "They always give me an extra scoop," he said, giving Scorpius a playful grin.

The passed several other shops and amusement arcades as they walked, and Albus bought them both a bag of candyfloss before they made their way down to the beach proper.

"It looks like cotton wool," Scorpius said, opening his bag and raising an eyebrow at the pink stuff inside.

"It's sugar. They spin it really, really finely. Don't tell me you've never had candyfloss, before?"

Scorpius shook his head. "Never." He tore a piece off and looked at it, curiously. "What does it taste like?"

"Sugar," Al replied, shrugging. "That's all that's in it. Just really finely spun sugar. And nothing else." He tore a piece off of his own candyfloss and shoved it in his mouth, giving Scorpius a big grin. "I'll have yours if you don't like it."

He watched as Scorpius tentatively placed some in his mouth. It was silent for a few seconds and Albus nearly burst out laughing at the look of concentration on his friend's face. Finally, Scorpius gave him a small smile and nodded his approval. "Not too bad," he said, and Albus did laugh, then.

They walked along the beach for a while, until Al stopped by a small cluster of small protruding rocks, and sat down on one of the flatter ones, leaving space for Scorp to sit beside him. He placed his bag down between his legs and the two of them just ate their candyfloss in comfortable silence for several long moments.

"What are you gonna do about Rose?" Al asked after a while, glancing at Scorp out of the corner of his eye.

There was silence for a while longer, then Scorpius frowned. "What do you mean?" he asked, sounding confused. Al shrugged.

"Well… now that we know why she's been behaving so oddly. I thought… since you two _are_ so much alike, maybe you could…"

"I have no interest in dating your cousin, Al," Scorpius said, bluntly. Albus sighed and turned to face his friend properly.

"Why not?" he asked. It seemed perfectly logical to him. They were both insanely smart, both had similar interests, and they were both, as far as he could judge - what with Rose being his cousin and Scorpius being a man - pretty good looking. Rose had pretty eyes, she was tall and had nice hair. And Scorpius… well, truth be told, Albus had always thought Scorpius rather attractive. There was no reason for them not to date each other.

Scorpius sighed, throwing the piece of candyfloss he was currently holding back in the bag. "There are several reasons. One being that I hardly know her. And two, rather a key factor, is the fact that every time I've met her she's been rude and hostile towards me."

"But she-"

"You're not going to play match-maker, Albus. It doesn't suit you."

Albus thought for a minute, then realised he couldn't think of anything to say, so closed his mouth again. He sighed after a while and pushed himself up, determined not to let that put a damper on their day. "Alright," he said, giving Scorp a big smile. "Come on. I'm gonna show you the caves."

They made their way to the far end of the beach, several times just narrowly escaping being knocked into by speeding children, until they reached the cliffs. Albus took his bag off his shoulder and sat down on the sand, untying his shoes

"What are you doing?" Scorpius asked, sounding almost alarmed.

"Well, we're walking over to the caves, so we'll have to walk through the water," Al replied, nodding towards the ankle-deep dip in the sand at the base of the caves that had filled with sea water. "Want me to put your shoes in my bag?"

Scorpius blinked at him for several moments, then took a breath and bent down to remove his shoes. Albus smiled as he watched, then took them from him and put them safely in his bag. They paddled through the cold, foaming water, trousers pulled up to their knees, and stopped by the entrance to a small cave, about half their height. "This is the one James and I used to hide in when we were little. It's bigger inside than it looks. Mum always used to tell us off for going in the caves, in case the tide came in and we couldn't get out." Albus chuckled at the look of horror on Scorp's face. He could tell Scorpius agreed. "Want to go in?"

"No thanks," he replied, and Albus rolled his eyes. He knew that was going to be his answer.

"Do you want to go and get some ice cream, then?"

The smile on Scorp's face in response was much more welcome, and Al all but dragged him excitedly back up the beach to his favourite ice cream parlour.

They spent the rest of the day doing nothing in particular, just sitting in the sun, eating ice cream and enjoying the time in each other's company. They'd never been able to meet up during the summer holidays, before, so this was a novelty to them both. Al amused himself by telling Scorpius horror stories about sunburn on pale skin, and the likelihood of Scorp breaking out in freckles. He dug his bottle of sun cream out of his bag after Scorpius complained, though, and laughed as he proceeded to smear it in thick globs all over his skin. They avoided talking about school or exams, which Al was eternally thankful for, but eventually it was time for Scorpius to leave.

They made their way back across the field and along the road, and found The Golden Banner down its little hidden country lane.

"Write to me, ok?" Al said, as he walked Scorpius to the fireplace. "Maybe we can organise another day out together, somewhere?

Scorpius smiled. "I'd like that a lot." They looked at each other for a while, then Al gave him a friendly hug.

"Well, you better get back and have a bath before your parents get home," he said, smiling. "You stink of beach."

Scorpius stepped into the fireplace, waved goodbye and was instantly engulfed by green flame.

Albus sighed as he stared blankly into the empty fireplace, feeling somewhat deflated, but smiled to himself nonetheless. He'd seen Scorpius over the summer, and he'd had an absolutely amazing day. Now, though, it was time to get home.

But on the plus side… dinner was probably ready.


	22. Chapter 22

Summer at the Manor went by too slowly for Scorpius

Summer at the Manor went by too slowly for Scorpius. Their trip to France even slower. Since his meeting with Albus the previous month, Scorpius had found himself feeling increasingly more and more lonely. He had barely anyone he could talk to when he was at school, and being all but locked in a huge mansion for six weeks with only his parents for company - and his father was away on business a lot of the time, anyway – was terribly dull.

He and Al had exchanged numerous letters, of course. Al's summer, while ultimately uneventful, had seemed positively thrilling to Scorpius, whose only entertainment was to wander around the grounds on occasion, looking for stray pixies. He remembered his day on the beach so well, and replayed it in his head often, as if it were a most treasured memory. And it was, really. It had been secret and special… like one of those forbidden stolen moments he'd read about in stories. He frowned and shook his head – he was comparing it to Harlequin romance fiction, now?

Suddenly the images of a tall, muscle-bound Albus entered his head, wearing tight trousers, one large golden earring and no shirt. He snorted and forced the image from his head. Albus looked fine the way he was, Scorpius thought.

He checked the glowing calendar on his large, marble windowsill. Three days left until September first. He sighed.

Maybe he could just sleep for three days?

The train whistle blew loudly, signally that students should hurry up and get aboard. Scorpius caught sight of Al jumping onto a carriage further down the platform, followed closely by James and Lily. They closed the door and Al stuck his head out of the open window to talk to his mother. Scorpius tried to listen to their conversation, but his own mother was fussing over him, pushing his hair out of his eyes and straightening his shirt collar. He gave up trying to listen to Al and turned to his parents.

"You'll write home once a week?" his mother asked, and Scorpius nodded, gently pushing her hands away from his face.

"Yes, mother. As I always have."

"And you'll study hard and do all your work on time, won't you?"

Scorpius had to refrain from rolling his eyes. Like there had ever been even the slightest chance of this not being the case. "Of course I will."

"Stop fussing, dear," Scorpius' father admonished gently. "The boy is going back to school, not joining the Auror Elite."

Asteria sighed and took a step back, giving Scorpius a loving, but somewhat sad smile. "Alright. Well, off you go then."

Scorpius gave his mother a hug and smiled as Draco placed a fatherly hand on his shoulder. "I'll see you at Christmas," he said, giving them one last smile before walking to the train and climbing on board.

He waved his mother off from his compartment as the train pulled away and sighed when they were out of sight, feeling quite relieved to be going back to school, and a little guilty that waving his parents off should come as such a relief. He leaned back comfortably in his seat and was just thinking of getting out a book when the compartment door slid open.

"There you are," said Al, grinning like a Cheshire cat as he entered and closed the door behind him. "I've been looking up and down the train for you." He dropped down heavily in the seat opposite Scorpius and put his feet up. "How was your summer?"

"Unexciting. Dull. Monotonous," Scorpius said, shrugging. "Yours? It sounded fun from your letters."

Al nodded. "It was great fun. We had a family day on the beach. We used to do that all the time when we were little. Mum and dad haven't been to the beach in ages, so it was nice. We pushed dad in the sea and mum tried not to laugh." Al grinned and shook his head fondly. "Hilarious stuff."

Scorpius smiled, unable to help feeling a small twinge of jealousy. His father would never go near a beach. His father's idea of a fun day out was going down to Diagon Alley to buy supplies for his work at the Ministry. He'd brought Scorpius along in several occasions in the hope of teaching him something about good business. All Scorpius had learned was that his father had a very boring job and that he'd rather be doing his homework.

"Where's Joanna?" Scorp asked, unsure how to respond to Al's enthusiasm. It wasn't that he wasn't happy for him – he was – he just wished he'd been able to be there, too.

"She doesn't get The Express anymore, remember? She moved to Durham last year."

Scorpius vaguely remembered Al telling him something like that, but he didn't tend to file information about Joanna very well. He had more important, less enraging things to think about. He simply nodded.

Albus grinned, "So it's just you and me."

Scorpius coughed as he felt his stomach do some sort of weird somersault.

"You alright, mate?" Al asked, learning forward. Scorpius had obviously reacted slightly more than he'd have liked. He quickly cleared his throat.

"Uh, yeah… sorry," he said, hitting himself lightly on the chest with a fist. "Swallowed wrong."

The journey was long, as usual, and Al and Scorpius both seemed content to just sit and chat. There was a lot to catch up on. Scorpius told Al about his trip to France. How they'd visited the local Wizarding vineyard, populated almost entirely by House Elves. He explained how his mother had introduced him to his second cousin twice removed, Bernadette, and not-so-subtly suggested that they might like to get to know one another. He shuddered at the memory. Al had, of course, found this hilarious, and spent nearly fifteen minutes laughing and pointing.

They were about half an hour from Hogsmeade station when the door slid quickly open and Rose poked her head in. "We're nearly there," she said to Al, not seeming to have noticed Scorpius was in the carriage, too. "You should start thinking about getting ready. I've already told James…"

The carriage went silent. Scorpius could see that Albus was, once again, trying not to laugh. He glanced briefly at Scorpius and Rose turned to see what he was looking at. Scorp watched as colour instantly flooded her face and she quickly turned and walked off the way she'd come, leaving a trail of almost visible embarrassment behind her.

"It's not funny," Scorpius said before Al could say anything.

"No, it really is." Al laughed so much that his eyes watered, and Scorpius frowned. Now that he understood why she'd been acting the way she had, he almost felt sorry for her. Not that he liked her, but it hardly seemed fair to mock her for it.

They both got ready as the train slowed, and they saw the lights of the castle off in the distance. Scorpius averted his eyes when Albus pulled his t-shirt off over his head, feeling his cheeks heat up and scowling at himself as he got dressed and slipped on his robe.

They ended up sharing a carriage with several Ravenclaws, two of which seemed to be looking at Albus and talking amongst themselves in excited, hushed voices. One look at Albus showed that he was fully aware of the attention and was loving every second of it. Typical, Scorpius thought.

Scorpius' stomach was complaining rather loudly by the time they got into the Great Hall. It didn't stop as the sorting ceremony took place, and Scorpius kept shifting in his seat to try and make it stop. Finally, after what seemed like a week, food appeared on the table and everyone dug in. By the looks of things, it hadn't just been Scorp's tummy grumbling.

"How many of these little sausages do you reckon I can fit in my mouth?" asked Al, stabbing one with his fork and looking at it thoughtfully.

Scorpius rolled his eyes. "One. Then you'd chew it, and swallow it, and repeat the process. It's called table manners."

"You're no fun," Al grinned, before eating the sausage, greedily.

Scorpius felt much better with a full belly. When dinner was over, they were free to do what they wanted until ten o'clock. Frankly, Scorpius just wanted to go down to the Common Room and relax. It had been the most eventful day he'd had in six weeks, save for his day at the beach with Al, and he was exhausted. They both made their way from the Hall and down to the Common Room, where they both collapsed into identical leather armchairs and sighed tiredly.

For a while, neither of them spoke, the students around them seemed just as content to chill out as they did. After several long moments, Scorpius looked over at Albus - at his messy black hair and freckled nose - and smiled.

It was good to be back.


	23. Chapter 23

Dear Scorp,

_Dear Scorp,_

_I discovered something amazing in the Owlery, yesterday. I think you'll like it. Meet me there at seven o'clock tonight and I'll show you. It's absolutely brilliant, mate._

_Al._

Scorpius raised a single eyebrow and folded the letter, tucking it in his pocket and looking around the Common Room for any sign of his friend. He was nowhere to be seen, which was unusual for this time, Scorpius thought. It was nearly six thirty, judging from the tall grandfather clock standing against the opposite wall, and Scorpius hadn't seen Al since Potions that morning. He wondered what Albus was up to. Whatever this thing was that he'd found in the Owlery, it had obviously taken up a lot of his time. With a sigh and a slight sense of trepidation, he stood up, pulled his jumper back over his head, and set off for the Owlery.

It was starting to get slightly nippy outside, he noted, as he made his way across the grounds. The sun was beginning to set and the sky had turned a rather pleasant shade of peach. Autumn was definitely upon them.

He made his way up the stairs and pushed open the door. Several large owls hooted angrily at him for disturbing their rest, but he ignored them, looking around the large circular room for any sign of his friend. The room was empty. He assumed he was probably a few minutes early, but he'd expected Albus to be here, already. He sighed and leaned against a post near the centre of the room, trying to ignore the smell of bird as best as he could, given his surroundings.

It can't have been more than three minutes before he heard the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs outside the door. He smiled and pushed open the door to greet Al, but was instead met with the sight of Rose Weasley making her way rapidly towards him. He panicked and quickly closed the door again before she saw him. What the Hell was he meant to do, now? He turned and looked frantically around the room for somewhere to hide. He didn't have much time, he could hear the footsteps getting louder, so he did the first thing he could think of and dived behind the nearest owl coop.

The door opened just seconds later, and Scorpius could feel the pulse in his temples thumping against the sides of his head. He looked down and realised he was standing right next to a huge pile of owl droppings.

"Al?" called Rose, looking round and taking one or two steps further into the room. Scorpius began trying to work out his escape route. Once she was further in the room, perhaps on the other side of it, he could sneak past her silently and get out. He watched her carefully, hoping against hope that she wouldn't see him. His hiding place wasn't exactly the most discreet. All she had to do was look to her right and she'd surely see the whole right-hand side of his body sticking out from behind the not-quite-big-enough bird box.

She moved further into the room, looking confused as she called for her cousin a second time. Maybe she'd get fed up quickly and leave, Scorpius hoped, trying in vain to push himself further into his little cubby hole. Unfortunately, his put his foot right into a patch of still-wet owl poo and slipped against the stone flooring. With a yelp of surprise, he fell sideways into the wall, slid down it and landed clumsily in the mountain of bird droppings.

Rose spun round in alarm, her eyes wide as she instantly pulled her wand from her pocket. "Who's –" She stopped when she saw Scorpius lying, rather ungracefully, in a pile of dried owl droppings. For the longest time they both just stared at each other, then Rose cleared her throat and hastily stuffed her wand back into her pocket. Scorpius could feel his face burning in embarrassment as he pushed himself to his feet and stepped out from behind his now redundant hiding place. Oh, what he'd have given for the ground the swallow him up right there and then.

"What… what are you doing here?" Rose asked, her voice sounding much more hushed and timid than Scorpius had heard it before.

He tried to keep his voice from trembling slightly, but it wasn't much use. "I… uh… I'm meant to be meeting Albus here. He sent me an owl telling me to –"

"Meet him here at seven?" Rose finished his sentence for him. Scorpius looked up, frowning.

"You got one, too?" he asked, feeling his embarrassment fading as anger slowly took its place. Rose nodded. Scorpius reached into his pocked and pulled out Al's letter, reading it over. "You don't suppose…"

"Yes I do." Rose nodded, pulling out her own letter and walking over to Scorpius to compare. They were identical. "He's done this on purpose," she said angrily. "He's not coming to show us anything. He never was."

Scorpius frowned and stuffed the letter roughly back into his pocket. He was furious. He'd told Al he had no interest in being set up with Rose. He'd made it more than perfectly clear. How could Al do this to him? It felt like a betrayal of sorts. He'd trusted Al not to do anything he'd asked him not to, and not only had he done it, but he'd done it deceitfully and behind his back. He suddenly felt the corners of his eyes start to sting and he scowled.

"I'm really sorry about this," said Rose as he turned his back to her, not wanting her to see how much this was affecting him. "If I'd known what he was planning I'd never have come. I…" she trailed off, and Scorpius shook his head.

"Doesn't matter," he said, flatly. "Not your fault."

The room was silent for a while, then Scorpius turned back to Rose, trying to keep the hurt from his face. "I'm going to go talk to Al. Excuse me."

He didn't wait for her to reply, just turned and left the room, making his way angrily across the grounds and back down to the dungeons.

Albus was sitting on one of the leather couches when Scorpius burst through the entrance. He grinned and stood up, looking for all the world as if this were his proudest moment to date. His expression only made Scorpius angrier, and as he drew near, he watched as the grin faded instantly from Al's face.

"What's wrong?" Al asked, and Scorpius felt his chest constrict painfully.

"You fucking bastard!" Scorpius hissed, feeling his heart pounding in his chest. "What the hell did you think you were doing?!"

"… what?"

"I _asked_ you not to play match-maker. I _asked_ you not to try and set us up, but you had to go and do it anyway, didn't you? What did you think you were going to accomplish?" Scorpius was aware that his voice was getting gradually louder, and several fourth years were watching them from the next couch over. "This is possibly one of the most stupid, brainless, hurtful things you've ever done."

"What? Hurtful?"

Al's obvious confusion only made things worse. He had no comprehension what he'd done and why Scorpius was upset. "How can you not get this?" Scorpius snapped. "I asked you not to do something, and you did it, anyway. That's a breach of trust, Albus. I _trusted_ you not to go against my wishes. Do you realise how much that hurts me?"

Albus opened and closed his mouth, looking distressed and completely lost. "I… I'm sorry…" he muttered, looking at a loss for words. The confusion in his eyes gave Scorpius a nasty, burning feeling in his gut and he didn't think he could stand to look at it for much longer.

"It's not only me this affected. I doubt your cousin is feeling very good about this at the moment, either. Merlin, Al…" He paused, then suddenly felt as if he might cry if he stood here any longer. He was still furious and upset, and trying to talk to Albus right now wasn't helping.

He turned and walked away from him, making his way hastily up to his room. He undressed quickly and climbed into bed, expecting to hear footsteps coming up the stairs. He'd never shouted at Albus like that before, and part of him felt absolutely dreadful. The look in Al's eyes, while infuriating, had hit him like a punch in the gut, and he suddenly didn't feel very well. He watched the door for a while, and when, after ten minutes, Albus didn't appear, Scorpius drew the curtains angrily about his bed and buried himself under the covers - hiding so that nobody would see him cry.


	24. Chapter 24

Dear Scorp,

_Dear Scorp,_

_I discovered something amazing in the Owlery, yesterday. I think you'll like it. Meet me there at seven o'clock tonight and I'll show you. It's absolutely brilliant, mate._

_Al._

Scorpius raised a single eyebrow and folded the letter, tucking it in his pocket and looking around the Common Room for any sign of his friend. He was nowhere to be seen, which was unusual for this time, Scorpius thought. It was nearly six thirty, judging from the tall grandfather clock standing against the opposite wall, and Scorpius hadn't seen Al since Potions that morning. He wondered what Albus was up to. Whatever this thing was that he'd found in the Owlery, it had obviously taken up a lot of his time. With a sigh and a slight sense of trepidation, he stood up, pulled his jumper back over his head, and set off for the Owlery.

It was starting to get slightly nippy outside, he noted, as he made his way across the grounds. The sun was beginning to set and the sky had turned a rather pleasant shade of peach. Autumn was definitely upon them.

He made his way up the stairs and pushed open the door. Several large owls hooted angrily at him for disturbing their rest, but he ignored them, looking around the large circular room for any sign of his friend. The room was empty. He assumed he was probably a few minutes early, but he'd expected Albus to be here, already. He sighed and leaned against a post near the centre of the room, trying to ignore the smell of bird as best as he could, given his surroundings.

It can't have been more than three minutes before he heard the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs outside the door. He smiled and pushed open the door to greet Al, but was instead met with the sight of Rose Weasley making her way rapidly towards him. He panicked and quickly closed the door again before she saw him. What the Hell was he meant to do, now? He turned and looked frantically around the room for somewhere to hide. He didn't have much time, he could hear the footsteps getting louder, so he did the first thing he could think of and dived behind the nearest owl coop.

The door opened just seconds later, and Scorpius could feel the pulse in his temples thumping against the sides of his head. He looked down and realised he was standing right next to a huge pile of owl droppings.

"Al?" called Rose, looking round and taking one or two steps further into the room. Scorpius began trying to work out his escape route. Once she was further in the room, perhaps on the other side of it, he could sneak past her silently and get out. He watched her carefully, hoping against hope that she wouldn't see him. His hiding place wasn't exactly the most discreet. All she had to do was look to her right and she'd surely see the whole right-hand side of his body sticking out from behind the not-quite-big-enough bird box.

She moved further into the room, looking confused as she called for her cousin a second time. Maybe she'd get fed up quickly and leave, Scorpius hoped, trying in vain to push himself further into his little cubby hole. Unfortunately, his put his foot right into a patch of still-wet owl poo and slipped against the stone flooring. With a yelp of surprise, he fell sideways into the wall, slid down it and landed clumsily in the mountain of bird droppings.

Rose spun round in alarm, her eyes wide as she instantly pulled her wand from her pocket. "Who's –" She stopped when she saw Scorpius lying, rather ungracefully, in a pile of dried owl droppings. For the longest time they both just stared at each other, then Rose cleared her throat and hastily stuffed her wand back into her pocket. Scorpius could feel his face burning in embarrassment as he pushed himself to his feet and stepped out from behind his now redundant hiding place. Oh, what he'd have given for the ground the swallow him up right there and then.

"What… what are you doing here?" Rose asked, her voice sounding much more hushed and timid than Scorpius had heard it before.

He tried to keep his voice from trembling slightly, but it wasn't much use. "I… uh… I'm meant to be meeting Albus here. He sent me an owl telling me to –"

"Meet him here at seven?" Rose finished his sentence for him. Scorpius looked up, frowning.

"You got one, too?" he asked, feeling his embarrassment fading as anger slowly took its place. Rose nodded. Scorpius reached into his pocked and pulled out Al's letter, reading it over. "You don't suppose…"

"Yes I do." Rose nodded, pulling out her own letter and walking over to Scorpius to compare. They were identical. "He's done this on purpose," she said angrily. "He's not coming to show us anything. He never was."

Scorpius frowned and stuffed the letter roughly back into his pocket. He was furious. He'd told Al he had no interest in being set up with Rose. He'd made it more than perfectly clear. How could Al do this to him? It felt like a betrayal of sorts. He'd trusted Al not to do anything he'd asked him not to, and not only had he done it, but he'd done it deceitfully and behind his back. He suddenly felt the corners of his eyes start to sting and he scowled.

"I'm really sorry about this," said Rose as he turned his back to her, not wanting her to see how much this was affecting him. "If I'd known what he was planning I'd never have come. I…" she trailed off, and Scorpius shook his head.

"Doesn't matter," he said, flatly. "Not your fault."

The room was silent for a while, then Scorpius turned back to Rose, trying to keep the hurt from his face. "I'm going to go talk to Al. Excuse me."

He didn't wait for her to reply, just turned and left the room, making his way angrily across the grounds and back down to the dungeons.

Albus was sitting on one of the leather couches when Scorpius burst through the entrance. He grinned and stood up, looking for all the world as if this were his proudest moment to date. His expression only made Scorpius angrier, and as he drew near, he watched as the grin faded instantly from Al's face.

"What's wrong?" Al asked, and Scorpius felt his chest constrict painfully.

"You fucking bastard!" Scorpius hissed, feeling his heart pounding in his chest. "What the hell did you think you were doing?!"

"… what?"

"I _asked_ you not to play match-maker. I _asked_ you not to try and set us up, but you had to go and do it anyway, didn't you? What did you think you were going to accomplish?" Scorpius was aware that his voice was getting gradually louder, and several fourth years were watching them from the next couch over. "This is possibly one of the most stupid, brainless, hurtful things you've ever done."

"What? Hurtful?"

Al's obvious confusion only made things worse. He had no comprehension what he'd done and why Scorpius was upset. "How can you not get this?" Scorpius snapped. "I asked you not to do something, and you did it, anyway. That's a breach of trust, Albus. I _trusted_ you not to go against my wishes. Do you realise how much that hurts me?"

Albus opened and closed his mouth, looking distressed and completely lost. "I… I'm sorry…" he muttered, looking at a loss for words. The confusion in his eyes gave Scorpius a nasty, burning feeling in his gut and he didn't think he could stand to look at it for much longer.

"It's not only me this affected. I doubt your cousin is feeling very good about this at the moment, either. Merlin, Al…" He paused, then suddenly felt as if he might cry if he stood here any longer. He was still furious and upset, and trying to talk to Albus right now wasn't helping.

He turned and walked away from him, making his way hastily up to his room. He undressed quickly and climbed into bed, expecting to hear footsteps coming up the stairs. He'd never shouted at Albus like that before, and part of him felt absolutely dreadful. The look in Al's eyes, while infuriating, had hit him like a punch in the gut, and he suddenly didn't feel very well. He watched the door for a while, and when, after ten minutes, Albus didn't appear, Scorpius drew the curtains angrily about his bed and buried himself under the covers - hiding so that nobody would see him cry.


	25. Chapter 25

a

Scorpius hadn't spoken to Al in three days. He avoided him at mealtimes, showing up late and sitting at the opposite end of the table, placing himself at a desk on the other side of the room during class, and refusing to talk to Albus in the Common Room – even when addressed directly. It was infuriating, immature, and stupid… and Albus felt awful. The lack of Scorpius' voice seemed to weigh on Al's shoulders like a thousand tonnes. He realised it was probably his fault for not having followed Scorpius the night it had started – he knew he should have, but he could think of nothing to say at the time. Instead, he'd raced up to Gryffindor Towers and banged angrily on the portrait of the Fat Lady until someone had come out to see what all the noise was about.

Joanna had been some comfort and, after several long hours of talking things through, she had told him he needed to find Scorpius and apologise for what he'd done. Unfortunately, Scorpius had decided not to listen.

Albus dug lazily at his pot of earth, sighing unconsciously and staring wistfully down at his trowel. He'd not been listening to a word Professor Longbottom had said for the past forty five minutes and thus was not really sure what he was meant to be doing. Joanna gave him a sharp dig in the ribs and Albus looked up, turning in her direction. "What? I'm doing it," he said, sounding completely unconvincing.

Joanna looked at him for a moment, then gave him a sympathetic look. "What's wrong?" she asked, then sighed at his vague shrug. "You're thinking about Scorp, aren't you?" she asked, putting her trowel down and turning to face him.

Al frowned, but nodded. It was true, he was, and he knew he wasn't doing a very good job of hiding it. He'd thought of hardly anything else since Scorpius had shouted at him and the past three days had been miserable for him. He'd even gone on his first Hogsmeade trip with Joanna the previous day to try and take his mind off it, but it hadn't helped much. Scorpius not talking to him felt like he was missing a limb and he'd noticed his school work suffering for it.

"Have you apologised to him, yet?" Joanna continued. Al nodded.

"Yes. Several times. He doesn't reply; just pretends he hasn't heard me." Albus shoved his trowel deep into his pot of dirt in a sudden bout of frustration and sighed again. "This is so stupid!"

"Maybe you should write him a letter?" Joanna suggested. "Perhaps put it on his pillow before he goes to bed? You might be able to say more in a letter, and you don't need to worry about being ignored, then."

"Yeah, maybe…" Albus wasn't convinced this would do any good at all, but he was feeling too down to point this out. There was no use, really. He continued to glare miserably down at his pot, aware of Joanna's eyes on him for several long moments before she turned back to her own work. Today was going to be as long and tedious as the previous two, he could just tell.

Several more minutes passed, then Professor Longbottom's voice broke the silence. "Okay, class," he said, moving to the front of the room an addressing everyone loudly. "By now you should have planted and fed your podlings. We're almost out of time here, so if you'd like to form a line and place your pots along the back window, they should be well on the way to maturity by next month. Providing this nice weather keeps up," he added, gazing out at the almost cloudless autumn sky.

Al looked down at his pot and the two small, green pods by the side of it which he hadn't touched. He couldn't be bothered to do it. He looked up at Joanna, who gave him a gently disapproving look. "This isn't a very good way to start the year," she said, trying to sound stern – she wasn't, though; Albus could always tell. He simply shrugged, picked up the two pods, and pushed them forcefully into the dirt with two fingers.

"That'll do," he said, shortly, picking up his pot and joining the already lengthy queue, Joanna following along closely behind.

"You know, if Scorpius knew how you were letting your concentration levels drop like this he'd be really upset with you."

"He's already upset with me, Jo," Al hissed, then instantly regretted his harsh tone. He took a breath and calmed himself down. "I just… I don't know what to do, you know? He's my best friend." Al caught the way his voice seemed to waver as he finished speaking and he frowned. Why was this such a big deal for him? Friends had arguments all the time, didn't they? And made up. Scorpius didn't seem this affected by it – but then, Albus thought, Scorpius wasn't the one in the dog-house, here. He felt completely lost without his friend to talk to, and even Joanna, whom he loved dearly, couldn't fully rouse him from his pit of self-pitying misery and loneliness.

After five minutes Al and Joanna reached the table and placed their pots in the sunlight along with the others. Professor Longbottom gave Albus a small questioning smile when he saw the state of Al's pot, but Al didn't stick around to hear what – if anything – he had to say about it. He gave the Professor a quick, forced smile in response and hurried from the greenhouse, once again pursued closely by Joanna.

"Well, maybe you could ask someone to talk to him for you, then?" she said, catching up and falling into stride behind him as they made their way across the lawn.

Albus snorted. "Yeah, like who?"

"Well…" Jo said, shrugging. "I could do it."

Al stopped dead in his tracks and Joanna stopped a split second after.

"What?!" Al asked, caught totally off guard. "Why?" That had been the last thing he'd expected, and it probably wouldn't do any good, given Scorpius' dislike of Joanna. The last thing Al wanted to do was give Scorpius more reason to dislike him.

"I just thought… since I know you, and I know how upset you are, I could talk to him and let him know how you're feeling. I'm sure he won't ignore me."

_No_, thought Al, _but he might turn you into a possum_.

He looked at her for a while, saw the earnest expression in her eyes and sighed. He couldn't tell her the truth. "I don't think that would be a good idea," he said, giving her a small smile. "But thanks. I just think it would be better coming from me. Maybe he just needs to hear it a load of times before he forgives me? He wants to watch me squirm for a bit."

Joanna frowned. "That's not very nice…"

Albus grinned and shrugged. "Slytherin. It's what I would do."

Joanna raised an eyebrow, then continued walking, Albus at her side. "Well, if you ever do that to me there'll be trouble."

Albus grinned and chuckled at her stern look and they walked the rest of the way in relative silence until it came time for them to part ways for their next class. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze and made his way down to the dungeons. His slightly heightened mood suddenly plummeted again, though, as he remembered that he shared this class with Scorpius. He growled at this realisation as he pushed open the door and had to keep himself from scowling at the pale, red-headed Hufflepuff boy Scorpius had chosen to sit next to.

Scorpius didn't look up from his desk as Albus entered, nor did he turn in Al's direction for the entirety of the lesson. When the class ended, Scorpius was the first out, and Albus watched him walk past with a deep, burrowing sense of loss growing in the pit of his stomach. He shoved his books hastily back into his bag and chased after him down the corridor, pushing several other students aside until he caught up with him. Scorpius quickened his pace, but Albus simply followed suit, refusing to let him get away so easily.

"Why are you doing this to me?" he asked, his tone imploring; almost desperate. "I've apologised about six times, now. I'm sorry. There, see? Seven, now. Scorpius…"

But Scorpius didn't reply. Albus could see the furrowing of the brow and the tightening of the lips that meant Scorpius was holding something back, but no response came. Albus followed him to the end of the corridor, but stopped at the foot of the stairs and let him go. He gave a cry of frustration and kicked the bottom step hard, only to yowl in pain as his toe connected with solid stone. He hopped around a bit, clutching his foot, then glared up the stairs into the empty space Scorpius had previously filled. He glared for a good three minutes, then sighed, slumping glumly down to sit on the same step he'd just kicked.

He wanted his friend back.


	26. Chapter 26

a

Scorpius saw her coming from the other end of the corridor. She was looking directly at him and seemed to quicken her pace as he caught her eye, so he simply turned around and walked the other way.

"Scorp," she called and he winced, pretending he hadn't heard her and forcing himself to walk faster. "Scorpius."

He continued walking, though he could now hear hurried and heavy footsteps as she started to jog after him. This was possibly the most stupid thing Al could have done – getting her, of all people, to try and act as a go-between. He kept walking, but he knew it was no use; there was no escaping it. He'd barely made it three more feet before he felt her hand on his shoulder and he finally sighed and stopped walking. He turned round to face her, trying to conceal the anger he could feel bubbling just beneath his skin. "Yes?" he asked, as politely as he could. Joanna let go of his shoulder and gave him such a pathetic look that, if it hadn't been for his intense dislike of her, he might have felt sorry for her.

"Can I talk to you for a bit?" she asked, looking nervous and unsure. "It's about Al… I'm worried about him."

Scorpius looked at her for a while, then narrowed his eyes slightly. "I have nothing to say either _to_ or _about_ Al at the moment, so if he's sent you to come and apologise…"

"No," Joanna interrupted, shaking her head. "It's not that. I'm worried because he's not been doing any work for days, now. He's not been listening in class and he's missed nearly five days worth of homework."

"That's not my problem," Scorpius said, and went to walk away. Joanna grabbed him by the arm again and held on tight.

"Please don't go," she pleaded, and once again Scorpius was sure that it was almost sorrow he was feeling for the girl. Almost. She kept hold of his arm, even as she brushed a long strand of brown hair from her face. "I've never seen him this upset, before. He's not been eating much food, either. I know it's only been a few days and it's not going to do him any harm to skip the odd lunch or two, but he's so miserable, Scorp. He misses you."

Scorpius glared at her use of his nickname and pulled his arm out of her grasp. Albus' sulking wasn't his issue and he wasn't prepared to talk to him about it, yet. The wound was still too fresh. "So he sent you to tell me this and to make me feel guilty, then?"

"No. Scorpius… it's not that at all." She sighed and dropped her arm back to her side. "He doesn't know I'm here. I offered to go and talk to you, but he told me not to. He wanted to do this himself, but you're not giving him a chance…"

"Why…" Scorpius was about to ask why he should, but it seemed a stupid question. He glared at Joanna, as if all of this were her fault, even though logic told him she had nothing to do with it. Why was she talking to him? What did she think she would solve in seeking him out? Especially since Al had told her not to. That was at least one thing working in Al's favour at the moment, then.

"Scorp, if you would just listen to him," Joanna said, earnestly. "Just sit down and talk to him…"

"I've had enough of this," Scorpius said suddenly, and started to walk away again. A feeling of such intense anger had gripped him that he feared he might do something stupid if he listened to her any longer. He could hear her following him again and he moved faster.

"Scorpius, for Merlin's sake, will you stop walking away?" she cried, walking just several feet behind him and keeping his pace. He didn't answer. "You're acting like a child. I'm not your enemy. I don't want this to be some sort of competition."

Scorpius stopped dead in his tracks and spun back round, Joanna stopping just inches from him and taking a quick step back. He looked at her for several moments, then narrowed his eyes. "What?" he asked, his voice low and rough.

"I don't hate you," Joanna said, sounding quite out of breath. "I don't want you to hate me, either, and I know you do, Scorpius – I'm not blind. But there's no reason to hate me… I'm… I'm not your enemy. I don't want to feel like I'm fighting you for Al's time."

Scorpius couldn't quite wrap his head around what she was saying. He just stared at her for some time, then shook his head. "What are you-"

"I know, Scorpius" Joanna replied. "I know how you feel about Albus."

"How I feel…?"

She nodded. "I know you have feelings for him. I know you're attracted to him… and I'm okay with that. I know it must be hard for you, but you're both such good friends and I don't want to get in the way of your friendship… he cares a lot about you. I don't want to be your enemy, and…"

"Shut up!" Scorpius hissed, and it was so venomous that Joanna stopped talking instantly. He glared at her for a while, then took a step closer, adopting an almost threatening stance as he came to stand mere inches from her face. "You know nothing about how I feel. You have absolutely no right to tell me about my emotions. I don't want to talk to you, I don't see you, and I _don't_ want to be friends with you."

Joanna just stared at him, her eyes wide in fear. He didn't move for a while, then he felt something in his chest constrict painfully and he turned and walked away, thankful that there were no footsteps behind him this time.

He made his way quickly down to the Slytherin Common Room and through to his Dormitory. He flung himself onto his bed, pulled the curtains and charmed them closed. He didn't know what to do with the emotions foaming and frothing inside him; he felt like he might explode at any second. He looked around helplessly at the green curtains and bed sheets. Quickly, with a flick of his wand, he placed a silencing spell around the bed before screaming as loudly as he could into the semi-darkness. He screamed until his throat felt raw, then collapsed back against the mattress, staring up at the canopy above him. His eyes stung and he blinked furiously in a vain attempt to hold back the impending tears.

He didn't know what to, or how to feel. What _did_ he feel? Why was he so upset? Why was he so angry? Why had Joanna's words affected him to this painful degree? Why did he suddenly miss Albus more than he'd ever missed anything in his life? Why did the thought of Albus suffering fill him with such a dreadful ache that his heart felt like it might implode in his chest?

So many horrible questions filled his head all at once; questions he'd worked hard not answer, and some questions he'd never even asked. He rolled over and buried his face deep in his pillow, still fighting back tears as he clenched his fists tight into his sheets, pulling at them as if trying to tear them down the middle. The realisation, as obvious as it suddenly seemed, felt as if it had just spring up from nowhere; like a Jack-in-the-Box nobody had wound.

When had he fallen in love with Albus? And why did it have to be Joanna, of all people, to make him realise?


	27. Chapter 27

a

Scorpius slept in that morning. He'd spent the previous night lying awake in bed, moving back and forth between disgust and annoyance that he hadn't recognised his feelings sooner. All the signs had been there – the butterflies in his stomach every time Al smiled, the almost desperate need to be in his company, the jealousy, the possessiveness – it was all so obvious, now. At least…it had been to Joanna. Had Al noticed, too? Had Joanna said anything to him about it? How was it possible for Al, his best friend of five years, with whom he spent the majority of his waking day, not to notice when Joanna, whom he had met a mere handful of times, could read him better than he could himself? It made so little sense, and Scorpius had lost all his sleep thinking about it.

He finally emerged from his bed at two thirty in the afternoon, sitting up and peering cautiously through a gap in his bed curtains. The room was empty, as he had expected it to be, though he could hear several voices coming from downstairs. He pushed himself up, got washed and dressed, and spent a further ten minutes sitting on the edge of his bed, contemplating whether or not he should just crawl back behind his curtains and stay there for the rest of the weekend. It was a tempting thought, but he knew it would solve nothing, and he knew that things needing solving. Primarily, this rift between him and Al. It had been six days since they'd spoken and it felt weird to walk past Al in the hall and not at least say hello. He missed him; always did when they were apart for more than a few hours – and now finally he understood the reason for it.

In a way, it was almost a good thing that he'd identified the source of his angst; now he could address it and move on.

He sighed heavily, pushed himself up and made his way downstairs. A few third years glanced briefly in his direction as he descended the stairs, but he went otherwise unnoticed. Al was nowhere to be seen, and Scorpius supposed he was probably with Joanna. He felt the familiar sense of anger flare up in his chest, and he frowned. He could hardly hate her, he realised suddenly; it wasn't her fault at all – it was his. But he did hate her… he did. He couldn't help it. She was a perfectly nice person, and he hated her. He felt something burn its way up his throat and he thought he might be sick for an instant. He took a deep breath and it passed, leaving him with a sense of hollow, empty anger that he didn't know at whom to direct.

"If you're looking for Al," came Simone Morgan's voice from the couch, "he's in the library."

Scorpius turned in her direction and looked a little taken aback. "Um… thanks…" he said, giving her a brief nod. She shrugged and went back to her book. He was unsure exactly how she'd known he was looking for Al, but he wasn't about to question her further. He made his way from the common room and up the stairs, noting his faster-than-normal pace and forcing himself to slow down as he approached the library. He stopped as he reached the doors and quickly moved to stand to one side, finding that his heart was inexplicably trying to fight its way up his throat and into his mouth. This was stupid – he was completely flustered, and there was no reason for it. He was going in to patch things up with his friend, and that's all there was to it. They'd had arguments before and made up with no problem. That's what friends did.

And that's all they were. Friends.

He closed his eyes, took another deep breath, and entered the library. The familiar smell of dust and books instantly helped calm him, and he made his way along each row in turn to see if he could spot Al. He saw him, finally, sitting at one of the back tables, next to a Ravenclaw boy who Scorpius recognised as Anthony Bluehover, brother of one of the Ravenclaw Chasers. He paused, close enough to hear only small snippets of conversation between the two. They seemed to be talking about Potions, and whatever it was Bluehover was explaining, Albus clearly wasn't getting, if the creased brow and wrinkled nose was anything to go by.

Scorpius wasn't sure if now was the best time; perhaps he should leave them to their studying and just see Al back in the Common Room later. He turned to leave, but the sound of Al calling his name rooted him to the spot.

"Scorp?"

Scorpius turned to face Al again, completely at a loss as to what to say. Bluehover was looking through loose pages of notes and shaking his head disapprovingly. Scorpius wanted to punch him. There was a silence for a while, and it was then that Bluehover looked up and glanced back and forth between the two, obviously waiting for one of them to speak. The silence lingered for several further moments, then Al cleared his throat and turned to the other boy. "Um… could I talk to Scorp alone for a bit?" he asked, and Bluehover seemed more than happy to comply. He grabbed all of his things, stuffed them back into his bag, and wandered off towards the Wandless Magic section.

The silence continued still, and it was Scorpius who finally broke it.

"I… uh… how are you?" he asked, not entirely sure how this conversation was supposed to go. What had he actually come here to say?

Al shrugged a bit. "Alright," he replied, looking down at his notes. "Anthony's about as much help as a punch in the nose, though." He gave a small grin, and Scorpius felt the knot in his stomach loosen somewhat. "How about you?"

Scorpius sighed and looked down at his feet. To be honest, he wasn't entirely sure how he was. His head was all over the place at the moment, and every time he thought about his conversation with Joanna he felt a little bit nauseous. "Alright," he said, repeating Al's sentiment. He guessed Al was about as 'alright' as he was. There was another brief moment of silence, then Al pulled out the chair next to him and indicated that Scorp should sit down. So he did.

"What were you studying?" Scorp asked, pulling the open text book closer and turning it over to look at the cover.

"Potions," Al said, propping his chin up on his hand. "Well… trying to study, anyway. Like I said, Anthony's no help."

Scorpius remembered what Joanna had said to him the day before, about Al not being able to work or study. He pushed the book away again. "Have you been doing much studying?" he asked, curious to know whether Albus would tell him the truth. There was a pause before he received his reply.

"Yeah… yeah… um…" Albus looked around, as if trying to find an answer that he could pluck from the air. In the end he just shrugged again and shook his head. "Well, no… not really." He looked sheepish, and Scorpius felt both guilty and amused at his obvious discomfort at admitting the truth. He gave him a small reassuring smile, and they both lapsed into silence once again.

This was proving to be a lot harder than he'd thought.

"I… uh… spoke to Rose yesterday…" Al began, and Scorpius instantly tensed up again. "She told me off in a fairly major way. It was like the time she told me off for hiding her revision notes…" he frowned, obviously remembering.

Scorpius turned to face Al, aware that he was biting the inside of his lip, but unable to stop.

"I'm really sorry, Scorp," Al said, finally. "What I did was possibly the most stupid, thoughtless thing I could have done. I really didn't mean to hurt you. I swear."

There was no sign of rehearsal about his apology. He sounded so earnest and so crushed that Scorpius wanted to squeeze his hand and tell him everything was fine. He couldn't stand seeing Albus suffer, and knowing now that Al had indeed been suffering his way through the last six days put a bitter taste in Scorp's mouth. What Albus had done was indeed stupid and thoughtless, but it wasn't done out of malice… Scorpius knew Al would never do anything like that to hurt him.

He wasn't angry at Albus for trying to set him up with Rose – and he knew now that it hadn't been entirely Al's fault. His pain had come from something else; something that he was only able to identify now – jealousy. He didn't want to be with Rose… he didn't want to be with anyone… he wanted to be with Al.

With this new understanding of his emotions, he suddenly realised that his anger these past few days hadn't only been directed at Al, but at himself, too; at his own inability to acknowledge and accept what he truly wanted. The overreaction had been entirely down to him, and now that he understood that, he could forgive Al for his part in it.

He gave Albus a small smile and shook his head. "I know… it's okay."

"So we're good?" Al asked, leaning forward hopefully.

Scorp nodded. "We're good."

He was instantly enveloped in Al's arms and he felt the corners of his eyes sting as he closed them, and wrapped his own arms around Al's waist.

He couldn't risk this friendship. It was the most important thing in the world.


	28. Chapter 28

"Do you fancy going to Hogsmeade next weekend

"Do you fancy going to Hogsmeade next weekend?" Al asked, placing a book on the table and pulling up a chair beside Scorpius. Scorpius shook his head.

"Not really," he said plainly. Al bit his lip.

"We can just stay here and hang out, then," he said, shrugging, as if trying to appear completely unaffected. The truth was, since he and Scorp had made up three days ago, there'd been a sort of un-definable tension between them. Albus assumed it was just the last remnants of guilt floating around inside his mind that was causing the problem, so he'd tried his hardest not to pay it any mind. He wasn't doing a very good job, though. "Probably best, anyway. It's getting cold out, these days."

Scorpius nodded as he turned a page in his book. Albus watched him for a while; the way his eyes moved across the page – it was almost hypnotising. He sighed a little and opened his own book, groaning inwardly at the title that greeted him. _'Medicinal Elixirs: An Unabridged History_.' He hadn't thought it possible, but sixth year was rapidly shaping up to be the most boring year to date – and fifth year had been horrendous. He skim-read for a while, glancing fleetingly over passages about the history of Pepperup Potion, and the use of Toadstools in a decent cough syrup. It was all incredibly boring stuff, and he wasn't really paying much attention. He'd only really agreed to come down here to spend time with Scorpius, anyway. He'd even blown off an evening with Joanna to be here.

He glanced furtively to his side and watched as Scorpius turned another page in his book. He knew just being in Scorp's company was a good thing, and he'd missed Scorpius so much during the days they hadn't spoken that just having Scorp sit next to him while they studied made him feel lighter, but he really wished they could chat instead of study. There was nothing to be studying for yet. He continued to watch Scorpius, still pretending to be reading, and turning a page in his own book every now and then, before finally exhaling loudly and sitting up straight. He stretched and felt his back click satisfactorily in various places.

"Do you fancy having dinner down in the kitchens tonight?" he asked, pushing his book off to one side as he leaned closer to glance down at what Scorp was reading.

"Sure," Scorp replied, giving a small shrug and pushing his glasses back up his nose with the knuckle of his index finger. "What time is it?" he asked, looking up briefly from his book.

Albus looked around for a clock, but he couldn't see one. He turned to the window. "Um… I'm going to guess about half five," he said, estimating from the shade of light coming in through the window. It was definitely evening, at any rate, and since it was now well and truly autumn, the days were starting to get shorter. "Want to head down in about half an hour?"

"Mmm," Scorpius nodded, going back to his reading, leaving Albus to once again sit in silent boredom.

The minutes passed slowly as Al waited, occasionally dragging his book back over and skimming through further notes on how to cure Dragon Pox and seven ways to dice a Green-eyed Beetle. What annoyed him most about this new year was that all this stuff they were studying was brand new. He didn't know any of these new potions or spells – it was like everything he'd spent time learning last year had all been for nothing. Scorpius, by contrast, seemed to be in his element. He'd been doing all sorts of extra-curricular reading during the past few weeks, learning about said new potions and spells with a fanatical glee he'd only ever really seen in James when Gryffindor beat someone at Quidditch.

He let out another audible sigh and Scorp sat up and turned in Al's direction. "You're really bored here, aren't you?" he asked, removing his glasses and placing them on top of his open book. Albus quickly shook his head and forced a smile.

"No, not really," he said, lying. "Just hungry and kind of tired. It's fine, you carry on." He could tell how utterly unconvincing he sounded, and he mentally slapped himself for it. He was utterly bored out of his skull, but he didn't want to upset Scorpius by admitting as much. They'd still only just made up, really, and those few short days apart had been enough to let Albus know he did _not_ want a repeat performance. He gave Scorpius the best, most convincing smile he could muster, cringing as he imagined how completely forced it probably looked.

Scorpius gave a small grin. "Liar," he said. He put his glasses in his pocket and closed his book. "Fine. Come on, then."

Albus was relieved at that reaction and he happily packed up his stuff and made his way back down to the Dungeons with Scorp to put their bags away. He threw his bag onto his bed and sat down on top of the trunk at its base. "You know," he said, leaning back on his elbows. "I think Professor Longbottom marked me down on my Herbology exam because he felt he had to."

Scorpius opened his trunk and put his bag inside. "Isn't that usually why teachers mark people down?"

"No, no" Albus replied hastily, shaking his head. "I mean… I think, because he's such good friends with my dad, he couldn't be seen to be favouring me above other students, could he? So he marked me down."

"Right," Scorpius nodded, one eyebrow ever so slightly raised. "It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact you didn't study for Herbology, then?"

"Well…" Al shrugged, scrunching up his face. "Maybe. But I like my story better. And besides, if I stick to my story it means I have an excuse never to study for Herbology ever again." He grinned, then felt his ears heat up at the disapproving look from Scorpius. He relented and sighed. "Alright, fine," he said, huffing as he stood up and made his way to the door. "But you're absolutely no fun."

The journey to the kitchen was undisturbed, since most of the students were already in the Great Hall. Al tickled the pear and they both stepped through the portrait hole and made their way to the long table in the centre of the room. Al recognised the smell of Toad in the Hole. Not that Toad in the Hole had a particular smell, he just had a ridiculously keen nose when it came to food. It was a talent.

A House Elf scampered over to them from under another table and bowed low at Al's feet. "Greetings, Mr. Albus Potter, sir, son of Harry Potter. What can Pan be doing for you today, sir?"

Albus grinned down at the Elf; it seemed to be wearing an empty flour sack on its scrawny little torso, and for some reason a teabag was hanging by a cord from his right ear. "Uh… well dinner whenever it's ready, thanks." He turned to Scorpius, who was watching the Elf with a puzzled expression on his face; he was obviously as baffled by the teabag as Al was. "Scorp," he called, getting his friend's attention. "Pumpkin juice, alright?"

"Yeah, that's fine."

"And two…" but the Elf was gone by the time Al had turned back round. He blinked and shook his head, leaning forward on the table and watching Scorpius absently. He opened his mouth to speak again, then shut it quickly when he realised that Rose would probably not be a very welcome topic of conversation. He'd been about to relay the conversation he had with her the other day, but somehow he didn't think hearing about Rose's concern for him would go down very well with Scorpius at the moment. He bit his lip as he watched Scorpius, contemplating how strange it felt to be thinking so much about what he said before he said it. He'd never had to do that with Scorp, before.

"What's wrong?" Scorpius asked, and Albus suddenly realised he'd been staring. He shook himself and sat up, taking a deep breath and giving Scorp a casual, friendly smile.

"Nothing. Just thinking about stuff…"

There was a silence for a while, an unusual sort of silence, since Albus had been expecting a question to follow that. Scorpius nodded and smiled back.

"Yeah," he said, letting out a small sigh. "Seems to be a lot of that going around."

Albus wasn't too sure what that meant, but it didn't feel right to press at the moment. Instead he simply chuckled quietly, leaning forward to rest his chin on the crook of his elbow, and spent the next five minutes examining the woodwork on the table.

Their dinner arrived after a while; two big plates of Toad in the Hole, mashed potato and beans, along with, Albus was pleased to note, a big pitcher of pumpkin juice and two goblets. They tucked in silently, Albus glad for the distraction. He wasn't sure why he felt so lost for words around Scorpius, today. He was sure it would sort itself out soon enough, and it wasn't as if things between them felt uncomfortable, per se, it was just strange for Albus to find himself so tongue-tied.

Albus wolfed his dinner down and poured himself his third goblet of juice while Scorpius took his time finishing off his beans.

"You're the only person I know who eats all their greens," Albus said, grinning, topping up Scorp's goblet. "Did you parents used to tell you it would give you super human strength, or something?"

"They're good for you," Scorpius replied. "Give you energy and flush out toxins. You should really eat more greens, Al. They'd sort out that lack of attention thing you have."

Al snorted and rolled his eyes, pushing his plate aside and leaning forward on his elbows again. "You know," he said, quite out of nowhere. "I'm really glad I know you."

Scorpius paused mid-bite, looked questioningly at Albus for a while, then swallowed. "Where did that come from?"

Albus shrugged, not entirely sure himself. It was true, though. He guessed it was still that niggling sense of guilt in the back of his head that had made him say it. "Dunno, really. I sort of just wanted you to know."

There was another silence, then Scorpius put his knife and fork down and smiled.

Albus loved it when Scorpius smiled like that.

"The feeling is definitely mutual, Albus," he said, then pushed himself up from the table, the smile suddenly fading. "I think I have to get going now, though. I… uh… I have a thing."

Albus frowned and was about to ask where Scorp was going, but Scorpius had turned and left the room so hastily that Al had hardly had time to form any coherent thought. He stared at the back of the portrait, a look of pure bewilderment on his face.

That most certainly wasn't what he'd expected.


	29. Chapter 29

a

He regretted it as soon as he heard the portrait close behind him. What possible reason could he give for running off? They'd only just made up, and Scorpius was aware of the silent tension between them, still. He could tell Albus was trying so hard to make sure everything between them was alright; he'd seen the look of concern and concentration in Al's eyes every time he'd spoken, or been about to speak. It unsettled him slightly that Albus, once hard to shut up, was now picking and choosing his words carefully so as not to upset him. And now he'd gone and made things even worse by walking out. There had been absolutely no reason for it. He'd probably given Al more of a complex, if anything.

The logical part of his brain told him to go back; to brush off whatever excuse he'd given, and just carry on as if nothing had happened. The emotional part of his brain, however, the part attacking his senses with the most ferocity, wouldn't let him. He could feel something hot and unpleasant snaking its way through his body, making his cheeks and the back of his head burn. His chest felt tight, like he'd been winded, and his stomach was tying itself in knots.

He made his way quickly along the corridor, hoping he wouldn't hear the sound of footsteps behind him. His capacity to think straight was being beaten into submission the further he got from the kitchen, and the more steps he took, the hotter he seemed to get. He picked up his pace and all but charged into the Slytherin common room, over to the stairs and up to his dormitory. Climbing into bed and closing the curtains around him, he ripped off his jumper and lay on his back, staring blankly up at the canopy.

For a while he didn't move - hardly breathed, even - then he closed his eyes and took a deep, calming breath. Now that he was safe he could feel logic once again making itself known.

Why had he left? What had prompted such an intense reaction? He replayed the last few moments before his departure, aware of the fact that his focus didn't once leave Al's face. It was nothing, really… the words had been nothing ground-breaking.

_'You know, I'm really glad I know you._'

The kind of thing any friend might say. It was normal. It was average. So what was it that had affected him so much? Perhaps it was the way Al stared at him when he said it? Perhaps it wasn't _what_ he said, but _how_? Perhaps it was the way Al's eyes had almost lit up when he'd smiled? He didn't know. Perhaps it was just the way Scorpius was reading too much into things?

He frowned, eyes still closed, and reached down to unfasten his trousers. He slid them down over his hips and kicked them off, clenching his fists by his sides and pursing his lips tightly. He felt paralysed for several moments, unable to do anything but dig his fingernails painfully into the palm of his hand and clench his eyes shut so tightly he saw stars. After a minute or so, he opened his eyes and lifted his arm, trailing his slowly unclenching hand across his hip and stomach and slipping just the tips of his fingers under the hem of his boxers. Once again, logic was pushing at him, demanding to know what on Earth he thought he was doing - but he ignored it. Now wasn't the time for logic. He reached inside his underwear and took hold of himself, looking down briefly to see the bulge of his hand underneath the black fabric.

He felt his cock pulse in his hand and hissed softly as he gave it a gentle squeeze. Lowering his head back onto the pillow, he closed his eyes again and pictured the look in Al's eyes just five minutes ago. The look of something more than just friendship; the look of some hidden, unknown longing. He moved his hand up and down the length of his cock, slowly at first, sucking his lips into his mouth and biting down on them to keep from making any noise. He looked deep into Al's brilliant green eyes; he could see sincerity there, confusion, and masked emotion. He could see himself reflected in them. He didn't care that he was seeing things that weren't there.

He moved his hand faster, lifting his hips ever so slightly off the mattress, and inhaling sharply through his nose as a rush of something cold and tingly shot through his body, making every hair stand on end.

He thought of Al's freckled nose, and allowed himself to remember the times he'd noticed the light smattering of freckles on Al's shoulder when he'd seen him getting changed. He thought of Al's mouth and lips, and how good they would probably feel pressed against his neck. Or his teeth, scraping just lightly over his skin as Al kissed his way down his chest. He shivered as he thought of it, running his free hand down his bare chest as he continued stroking, bucking his hips up into his fist.

He imagined Al's mouth tasting of chocolate and, for some reason, that hideous blue rum Finnegan kept a stash of. He was stroking fast and hard now, his hips moving of their own volition. His free hand clenched again, and in his mind he was kissing Albus, kissing him wildly and passionately, his body pinned to the wall, with Al's chest pressed against his, and he was coming… coming hard into his fist as he bucked and lifted his free hand to his mouth and bit down on it hard enough to bruise. A small whimpering sob was the only sound he made, and as soon as he'd finished, he wiped his hand on his boxers and rolled over to bury his face in his pillow.

He felt absolutely disgusted with himself. There was no wave of euphoria; there was no sense of satisfaction - only repulsion. What had he been thinking? What on Earth had possessed him to do something so stupid? Al would never forgive him if he knew what he'd just done. Al was his friend, and you weren't supposed to think things like that about your friends. He'd finally admitted his feelings to himself, and that was a step forward, wasn't it? Wasn't admitting you have a problem half the battle? Wasn't he supposed to be getting over it, now? Surely things were meant to be getting easier, not harder?

He moaned piteously, thankful that the pillow muffled the sound, and clenched his hands in the fabric of his sheets. Perhaps he should have just stayed in denial – it had been safer there. No acknowledgment of sexual attraction. No false hope and stupid expectations. Albus was his friend – his best friend – and that meant so much to him. That had been enough up until now.

He stayed where he was for a while, face buried in his pillow until he felt light-headed and came up for air. The world spun around him for several moments, and he blinked in the dark until he suddenly remembered the mess in his underwear. It was uncomfortable and itchy, drying as it was against his skin, and he once again felt disgusted with himself. He frowned and grabbed his clothes from the end of the bed and put them on; he'd go and take a shower, get his underwear washed, and go and do some studying. Perhaps some Arithmancy would help take his mind off things.


	30. Chapter 30

a

Al frowned down at the stone floor and leaned back in his seat. "I just don't know what he wants from me," he said, the urge to kick something mounting steadily. "Things have been going okay since we made up, and then he just runs off. It's not even like I said anything particularly offensive… unless compliments mean something else entirely in his head." He glared at a nearby chair leg, then finally kicked it, sending it skidding noisily across the floor. Several of the students in the library looked up at him disapprovingly and he instantly felt his cheeks flush in embarrassment.

"I don't think it's anything you need to worry about," Joanna replied. "Maybe things just need a little bit of time to settle. Maybe he just needs to cool off for a while?" She paused, then gave him a weak smile. "I'm sure it'll be fine by the time you next see him."

Albus let out a long, pained sigh and leaned forward in his chair, resting his chin on both fists. "Yeah…" he said automatically, not really listening. He'd been too confused by Scorp's sudden departure to follow him, then his confusion had turned to anger, and now he was confused again and feeling incredibly frustrated with the situation. What was Scorp's problem? True, things between them had been a little tense since they'd made up, but it had been going well, Al thought – and he'd been trying his hardest to make sure Scorp knew how much he appreciated him. One little compliment and it had all gone to pot. Not that it was irreparable – this would probably only take a grin or a joke to sort out – but it was annoying as all Hell.

"Al…?"

Al shook himself when he realised he was being spoken to, and turned to face Joanna. "Hmm?"

"I asked if he'd said anything to you about me," she said, looking unusually nervous. Al frowned in confusion and shook his head. What a random question to ask.

"No," he replied, shrugging. "Why? Should he have?"

"Well, no… not really. It's just that…" she broke off and bit her lip. Al was instantly concerned by the look on her face. He pulled his chair closer to the table.

"What's wrong?" he asked, lowering his voice as if other people might be listening in.

Joanna didn't say anything for a while just worried her lip between her teeth until the skin around it went white. Eventually she let out a sigh and looked down at her book. "Ok… please don't be angry with me…"

Al didn't like where this was going.

"… You remember how I offered to go talk to Scorp when you two were fighting? And you told me not to?"

"Please don't say you went to talk to him…" Al braced himself.

"I'm so sorry," Joanna whispered, leaning forward, her expression almost pleading. "I know you didn't want me to, but you were so upset and I didn't like to see you like that. It was affecting your work and making you so miserable…"

Al groaned and buried his face in his hands, shaking his head. "Jo, I asked you not to do that. God… he probably thinks I put you up to it…"

"No, no," Joanna jumped in quickly. "I told him you asked me not to. I told him your work was suffering and you really missed him." There was a silence, in which Albus kept his head buried in both hands. "I'm really sorry, Al…"

Al took a deep breath and lowered his hands, feeling a mixture of uncomfortable emotions running through him. "What did he say to you?" he asked quietly, trying to hide the annoyance in his voice. This probably explained a lot about why their friendship had seemed so tense over the last few days.

"He…" Joanna began, then paused. "He, uh… not much."

Albus frowned. "What did he say?"

Joanna sighed. "He really didn't say much. I mainly just spoke to him - told him about your work suffering, and how much you missed him, and he… well he pretty much just walked away. I don't… I don't think he appreciated me talking to him."

Albus sighed again and felt like slamming his head into the table. This really did explain a lot. If Scorpius thought Al had put her up to that – and Al assumed he probably did – then it was no wonder he was being so distant and acting so weirdly. He couldn't deny the slight feeling of resentment towards Joanna for going against his wishes, then he suddenly realised that this is how Scorpius must have felt when he'd tried to set him up with Rose – only ten times worse, probably.

He sat for a while in silence, wondering what he should do next. He'd come down here to bitch about Scorpius for a while – get the frustration off his chest – but he now found himself wanting to find his friend and apologise for what Joanna had done. He absentmindedly drummed his fingers against the table as he stared down at Joanna's now closed Potions book.

"Al…?"

He looked up.

"I'm really sorry." Joanna bit her lip, then gave a small smile. "I love you."

Al sighed. "I love you, too…" he smiled weakly, then pushed himself up. "Listen, I'm going to go find Scorp and try and sort this thing out. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Oh… okay," was all Joanna had time to say before Al had turned and made his way towards the door.

He wasn't sure why apologising to Scorp over this seemed so desperately important, since it wasn't actually his fault, but he knew how much Scorp disliked Joanna, and he'd tried his hardest to keep them separate as much as he possibly could. This had probably felt like some sort of betrayal on Scorp's part, and Albus hated the idea that Scorp might think he would intentionally do something like that. As if the thing with Rose hadn't done enough damage.

He made his way along the corridors, down the stairs that led to the dungeons, and into the common room. He hadn't realised just how fast he'd been walking until he spotted Scorp sitting on one of the couches and nearly stumbled over in his attempt to stop. He felt his stomach contract nastily, and he took a deep breath before walking casually over and flopping down next to his friend.

"Hey," he said, facing Scorp and giving him a warm smile.

Scorpius glanced up briefly from the book he was holding and nodded. "Hello."

"What are you reading?" Al asked, leaning forward to try and read the title printed on the spine.

Scorp raise the book to show him – Mythological Figures. "It's for my Arithmancy homework. I need three feet on the importance of eight and two in determining individual star charts."

Albus had absolutely no idea what on earth Scorpius had just said. "Ah," he nodded. "Cool."

There was a short silence, and Albus remained staring blankly at Scorp's hand on the book. Eventually Scorpius looked up again. "What's wrong?" he asked, and Al instantly frowned and shook himself.

"Uh… nothing, really." He sighed heavily and shifted in his seat. "Well… there is something."

Scorpius looked at him for a while, then bookmarked his page and closed the book. He said nothing, and Albus almost wished he would. It would be easier to talk if it were prompted from him, he thought. Eventually though, when it became clear Scorpius was going to continue to stare at him until the silence was broken, he cleared his throat. "Um… Joanna told me she spoke to you the other day," he said, and instantly saw Scorpius' whole body stiffen, and his eyes go wide behind his glasses.

"What did she say?" Scorpius asked hurriedly, throwing Albus somewhat.

"Uh… well… that she spoke to you about me, and told you I was really miserable…"

"Did she say anything else?" Scorpius probed, sounding highly agitated. Al's brow furrowed.

"No… just that you walked away from her." He bit his lip, then continued before Scorpius could interrupt again. "I just wanted you to know that I didn't put her up to that. She'd asked me during the day if she should go and talk to you and I told her no. I just…" he paused again, struggling to find the right words. How did he word this without bringing up the Rose incident? "I just really didn't want you to think I'd set that up. I wouldn't do that." The implied '_again_' went unspoken.

The silence felt unnaturally heavy when he finished speaking. Scorp's shoulders were very tense and Al could see the discomfort in his features.

"She didn't say anything else?" he asked after a few moments. Al shook his head.

"No… did something else happen?"

Scorpius narrowed his eyes slightly, then shook his head. "No." He seemed to relax after that and sat back into the soft leather couch.

"So we're still good, then?" Al asked, sounding more hopeful than he'd intended.

Scorpius took off his glasses and placed them down on the couch beside him. "Of course." He smiled, and Albus felt something inside his chest flutter. That smile always managed to brighten his day.

He sat and smiled back for a while, then shuffled closer, feeling the tension in the air drain away.


	31. Chapter 31

It felt more like a date that Scorpius had hoped it would, though he knew it was only him who felt that way

It felt more like a date than Scorpius had hoped it would, though he knew it was only him who felt that way. Albus seemed much too excited that they were finally going on their first Hogsmeade trip of the year together to really notice any discomfort on Scorp's part – which Scorp was eternally thankful for. They walked along the cobbled road on their way into the small village, Scorpius listening happily to Al talking about an incident he'd apparently missed at the Gryffindor breakfast table.

"James got it full in the face," he said, excitedly, using his hands to demonstrate just exactly what full in the face was meant to look like. "Apparently that stuff doesn't come off easily, either. Mike told me he got some in his hair a couple years back and nothing he did could get it off. He had to cut his hair in the end." Albus paused, then chuckled. "That'd be a sight. I wonder what he'd look like bald…"

Scorpius shook his head, trying to suppress a grin. He really didn't like to encourage this behaviour, but he couldn't deny having developed a small thing for Al's playfully sadistic enthusiasm. In small doses, of course.

"Hey," Al went on, changing the subject. "When's Halloween, again?"

Scorpius raised an eyebrow. "October thirty first, Al. Like it is every year."

Al tutted and rolled his eyes. "I know it's on the thirty first, but I mean… what day is that? Is it on the weekend?"

Scorpius quickly calculated the remaining days in his head. It was just over two weeks until Halloween, which meant that the thirty first would fall on a Saturday. "I believe so," he nodded. "Why? Making plans?"

"Well, I wasn't, but how about we have a big Halloween party in the Common Room?" He grinned as the idea apparently settled in is brain, and Scorpius wasn't sure whether to speak or just let him run with it. He was sure there would be logistical problems, such as the ratio of space to the number of attendees, but the likelihood was that he'd sneak off quietly to the library, anyway, so it was really Al's problem.

"It could be a costume party," Al went on, sounding quite excited. "Should there be a theme?" He paused. "Maybe everyone has to come wearing the House colours of a House they're not in? Or not… Um… maybe girls have to come as boys and boys have to come as girls? Ha!! James would have to wear a skirt."

Scorpius rolled his eyes. "As would you, Al."

"… oh." Albus frowned, then shook his head. "Okay, forget that. What about we just go for something slightly more broad. Like… fantasy? You know, knights and princesses and stuff?"

"Have you thought about things like food?" Scorpius asked, sounding more like a parent than he'd intended.

Albus blinked at him. "Uh… food?"

"Yes. Food. If it's going to be a long party then people will start to get hungry at some point. They'll expect at least finger food to nibble on. And drinks. And then there's the matter of the Slytherin password. You weren't intending on just giving it out to the whole school were you?"

Al's smile vanished and a frown took its place. "I didn't really think of that."

"You'd be much better off, Al, if you want a Halloween party, asking if you could have one in the Great Hall. Then the Professors would make sure there was plenty of food and juice, access to toilets would be much more readily available, and I wouldn't have to be kicked out of my own Common Room for the night."

Al frowned at him in confusion as he pushed open the gate leading into the village centre. "Kicked out?" he asked, holding the gate for Scorp and following him through. "Who would kick you out?"

"I don't expect I'd enjoy it very much," Scorpius replied, giving a small shrug. "Plus, I have no costume and I don't intend to spend money on something I'm not likely to wear again."

Albus sighed and rolled his eyes. "Ok, first of all, you're coming. I'm actually not going to accept no for an answer, so tough luck. Secondly, we're going to find you a costume, and I will even pay for it if you're going to be silly about things – it's not as if you don't _have_ the money. And lastly… well…" he paused, then waved his hand dismissively. "I guess that's it. But you're coming."

Scorpius opened his mouth to protest, but Albus quickly pressed the tips of his fingers to Scorp's ever-so-slightly parted lips. "Shh. Don't want to hear it. You're coming."

Scorpius froze instantly at the feel of Al's fingers against his lips. The frown creasing his brow instantly melted and he felt the corners of his mouth twitch slightly. He let out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding and just nodded. "Alright."

Al grinned and removed his fingers, turning and making his way along the path to The Three Broomsticks. The warmth around Scorpius' body slowly cooled again and he shook his head, snapping himself out of his trance-like daze, and followed on along behind Albus.

No sooner had they reached the door, than a female voice stopped them in their tracks.

"Hey, Scorp. Al. Wait…"

Scorpius turned to see Lily bounding down the path behind them, waving and beaming brightly. He heard Albus groan slightly and continue into the pub, not waiting for Lily to catch them up. Scorpius waited by the door and gave her a slight smile.

"Nice to see you two out and about again," she said, coming to a stop beside Scorp. He pushed open the door and let her in first, following her over to the corner table, where Al was already reclining.

"Are you following us, Lil?" Albus asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

She gave him a small smile and tilted her head to one side. "I might be. But that's neither here nor there, really." She sat down next to Scorp, facing Al. "How are you, brother of mine?"

Albus stretched, leaning back in his chair and rolling his shoulders until they clicked loudly. "I'm brilliant, as usual." He leaned forward again, crossing his arms on the table in front of him. "Actually, me and Scorp were just talking about the Halloween party we're going to throw."

Lily turned to face Scorp and he suddenly felt very on the spot. "Uh… well… it was actually Al's idea."

"Is it a costume party?" she asked, excitedly.

"Um… yes," Scorp nodded, blushing slightly when Al grinned at him. "It's a fantasy theme, I think. Knights and princesses… and stuff…" He knew he'd just repeated Al's earlier phrasing, and he felt the heat in his cheeks spread to his ears when Al chuckled at him.

Lily turned to Al. "What are you going as, then? A Princess?"

"Fuck off," he snapped, then sat up a little straighter in his chair. "I'm going to be a knight in shining amour, of course." He looked at her and smirked. "You can be a troll."

Lily simply smirked and rolled her eyes, turning to Scorpius. "And what are you going to be?"

Scorpius opened his mouth, but realised he had absolutely no idea. "Um…" he frowned and turned to Al for help.

"A dragon?" Al offered. "Since I'm a knight. I could be St. George and you could be my dragon."

Scorp bit his lip at Al's choice of words and turned away, grinning.

"Um, Al… you want to get this round in?" Lily asked. "I'll get the next lot."

Al nodded. "Sure."

Scorpius watched him as he made his way to the bar, and nearly jumped out of his skin when Lily tapped him on the shoulder. He turned round in his seat to face her.

"So…" she said, brightly. "You and Al friends again, huh?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

Lily looked over Scorp's shoulder, then back to Scorp. "You're really good friends, aren't you? I mean… you really care about him and stuff?"

Scorpius nodded again, a little more slowly this time. "Yes…" He wasn't quite sure where this was going, but he suddenly felt slightly uncomfortable.

"That's good," she said. "I think he really cares about you, too." She looked over his shoulder again and kept her focus there as she spoke. "Sometimes he's a little stupid, but don't let that put you off."

Scorpius was about to ask exactly what it was she was going on about when three glasses of Butterbeer were placed loudly down on the table beside him.

"Drink up," Al said, taking his seat and grinning excitedly. "It's happy hour. If we get these drunk in the next forty five minutes, we can get another round in for eighteen Sickles."


	32. Chapter 32

a

"Halloween party. Great Hall. Thirty First. Six 'till late. Be there." Al stuffed a flier into another random student's hands, reciting the rehearsed time and date automatically, and looking out for the next person to pass the information on to. He'd already plastered the dungeons with fliers he'd had specially made, and he was currently off up to Gryffindor tower to do likewise. He also wanted to make sure Joanna knew about the party directly from him, since he felt bad about not spending too much time with her lately.

He bumped into a couple of Gryffindor fifth year girls on his way up the stairs and handed them both a flier each, grinning charmingly as they both accepted them and giggled to each other on their way past. He stuck several fliers to the wall at random intervals as he ascended, until he finally reached the portrait of the fat lady. She raised an eyebrow suspiciously at him as he approached.

"Is there a reason you're up here?" she asked, looking him over. He just beamed at her and held up one of his fliers.

"Halloween party," he replied cheerfully. "Want to hand out some fliers. Uh… could you let me in, please?"

The portrait scoffed. "No I most certainly could not. Students from other Houses are not permitted entry unless invited."

Al sighed and rolled his eyes. "We've been through this. I have two Gryffindor siblings, Gryffindor parents and a Gryffindor girlfriend. Surely that gives me enough Gryffy tokens to get in?" he said, trying, and clearly failing, to be charming. The fat lady obviously wasn't impressed.

"I told you the last time you came up here demanding entry, it is against school rules to let anyone of another House enter without express permission." She glared at him, bustling slightly in her frame. "Don't think you can go through life always getting special treatment because you're Harry Potter's son. I knew your father, and he'd be ashamed if he knew his son was…"

She didn't have time to finish speaking before the portrait flew open, smacking loudly into the wall and cutting her off with a muffled "oomphf".

Lily stood in the entrance, looking mildly surprised to see Al grinning at her.

"Afternoon," he said, waving, beyond amused at the now almost incoherent angry mumbling coming from the fat lady's portrait.

"Yes," Lily replied. "I believe it is." She looked down at the fliers in Al's hands, and Al handed her one.

"Remember that Halloween party I was talking about the other day at the pub?"

Lily nodded.

"Well, I spoke to Professor McGonagall and she said we could have the party in the Great Hall… as long as there's no alcohol," Al said dismissively. "I've put these up in dungeons and I've been handing them out to people on my way up, but I wanted to come and see Joanna and tell her about it in person. Is she here?" he asked, looking over Lily's shoulder.

Lily looked up from reading her flier, grinning now that Al's presence wasn't such a mystery. "Yeah," she nodded. "She's up in her dorm, though. Want to come and wait inside?"

Al smirked, hearing the fat lady's muffled cries becoming more irate. "Love to," he said, chuckling to himself as he stepped in through the portrait hole and let it close behind him.

"Hi," he said, waving to a crowd of slightly confused Gryffindors sitting around the fireplace.

He leaned against a table, looking around idly as Lily ran off up a flight of steps to get Joanna. The Gryffindor common room looked a lot like Lily's old bedroom, Albus thought, back when they were all still in single figures. Clearly their mum's doing. He smiled to himself as he thought about it – it _would_ be their mum who insisted her child's bedroom be painted in Gryffindor house colours. He wondered what sort of reaction he'd get if he told her he wanted to paint his bedroom green and silver.

"Hey," came Joanna' voice from over his shoulder. He turned and smiled, leaning in and kissing her on the cheek happily. She seemed almost surprised at his affectionate action and narrowed her eyes slightly. "I assume you're not mad at me any more, then?" she asked.

Al shrugged, still smiling. "I guess not." He kissed her again, then moved back to hand her a flier. "I wanted to give you one of these."

She took it from his hand and read it, a smile spreading slowly across her face as she read. Al watched her excitedly, glad that she was obviously all for the idea.

"I'm going as a knight," Al went on. "So I thought you could go as a princess."

"Well, obviously I'm going as a princess," Joanna said, looking up and grinning. "I think every girl will be going as a princess."

"I'm going as a fairy," Lily chimed in, as she walked past them to get to the sofa.

"You could be the fair maiden and I could be your knight in shining armour," Al said, puffing out his chest and adopting what he thought was quite a gallant and heroic stance. Joanna laughed, and Al quickly stopped posing, feeling slightly sheepish.

"So you're a knight," Joanna said, amused. "I'm a princess, Lily is a fairy… how about James?"

Al shrugged. "I'd quite like James to come as one of the ugly step sisters from Cinderella"

Something hit the back of Al's head and he turned to see James frowning at him from across the room. "Get out of my common room," he yelled, screwing up a second piece of paper to throw. Lily rolled her eyes and got up from the couch to see to her brother. Al chuckled and turned back to Joanna.

"And what about Scorp?" she asked.

Al smiled. "Well, he's going to be my dragon."

There was a brief silence. Joanna blinked.

"He… uh… pardon?"

"My dragon," Al repeated. "I'm going as St. George, and he's going to be the dragon."

"…oh," Joanna replied, nodding, giving a faint smile. "That's… good."

Al beamed and nodded. He did rather like the idea. Quite genius, actually, he thought. He shuffled his fliers and gathered them up again. "Alright, I've got to go hand the rest of these out. Fancy keeping me company?" he asked.

Joanna bit her lip, looking down at the fliers in Al's hand, then nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I think I will." She gave him another small smile. "Just let me go put some shoes on, okay?"

Al nodded and watched as Jo ran back up to her dormitory. He took a seat at the table on which he'd previously been leaning and read over the flyers again.

_**Hogwarts Does Halloween**_

_A fantastic night of mischief, mirth and mayhem, where absolutely anything might happen._

_Strict costume dress code; No costume, no entry._

_Theme:__ Myth and Fantasy_

_Date: __Saturday 31__st__ October_

_Time:__ 6pm 'till late_

_Location:__ Great Hall._

_Let your wildest fantasies come true._

He grinned. This was going to be fun.


	33. Chapter 33

a

Scorpius was having more fun watching Albus picking out his costume than trying to pick out his own. He'd been dead set against the idea of dressing up, but Albus had managed to talk him round after much whining and giving of puppy dog eyes. Scorpius had melted like butter at the slightest provocation from those green eyes, and he cursed himself, yet again, for having fallen for this twit of a best friend of his.

Albus was pawing through a rack of medieval costumes, occasionally picking something off the hanger, only to hang it back up again after a brief, unimpressed glance. So far he had a chain mail vest hanging over one arm and a pair of metal gauntlets slung over his shoulder. Currently, he was rifling through various white tunics with different flags and shields embroidered on the front, clearly trying to find the most impressive. Scorpius grinned as he watched him, amused at the way he'd stop every now and then, pick up a tunic, examine the crest on the front, before putting it back on the rack and rummaging through them again.

"What exactly are you looking for?" Scorp asked, leaning against the end of the rack.

"Something knight-y," Al said, not looking up from his rummaging.

"Ah, yes." Scorpius nodded. "Of course."

There was a brief silence, in which Al picked up another tunic, examined it briefly, before shoving it back on the rack. Scorpius sighed.

"Although, since you're going as St. George, maybe you'd be better off with something simple? Say… the English flag?"

Albus stopped, frowned for a second, then looked up at Scorpius. "You think?"

"Well, what with St. George being the patron saint of England and all…" Scorp shrugged. He smiled as the realisation dawned on Al's face.

"Good point," he said, quickly going back through the tunics and picking out the one with a very simple red cross on the front. "English flag it is, then."

The item was draped over the same arm as the vest and they moved on to look at swords and shields. Unfortunately, the only swords available for sale to children under the age of 17 were plastic, which Albus bristled about before grudgingly picking one up and sticking it under his arm. "This isn't going to impress anyone," he complained quietly to Scorpius as they made their way over to the changing rooms.

Scorpius took a seat outside the curtained cubicle and waited for Al to get changed. He resisted the urge to glance through the slight gap in the fabric as he heard the rustle of fabric and clink of chain mail, and the yelp of "Shit, that's cold" as the metal vest obviously touched Al's bare skin. He bit his lip and grinned to himself, looking steadfastly at the floor until the curtain opened and Al stepped out, looking like some sort of great heroic parody. There was a huge grin on his face, and, as if on some silent cue, he pulled the plastic sword from its plastic sheath and held it aloft. "Never fear, citizens of Hogsmeade," he bellowed. "Albus Potter will save you."

Scorpius snorted.

Al lowered his sword and stuck it back in its scabbard, grinning. "Looks pretty good, though, doesn't it?"

Scorp looked him over and nodded. "You look very gallant."

"And dashing?"

Scorpius took a breath, then smiled. "Yes, Al. And dashing."

Albus smirked smugly and went off to look at himself in the mirror. Scorpius watched him and let out a long exhale. He'd still rather not go to the party, if truth be told; there would be so many people there having a good time, and _his_ only real friend would probably be spending most of the night in the arms of his girlfriend. He felt his jaw clench and instantly pushed it from his mind, refusing to think on it further.

Al turned to face him again. "Alright. I think that's me sorted. Let me just get changed again we'll go sort you out."

He disappeared into his cubicle again and came back out several minutes later dressed in his normal jeans, t-shirt and jacket, the costume tucked under his arm. "Alright," he said, making his way back into the shop. Scorpius followed and they spent minutes looking before Al stopped dead in his tracks. Scorpius walked into him and quickly took a step back, coughing. He looked up and saw what had made Al come to such a sudden halt. It was a fuzzy, green, all-in-one dragon costume, with shiny yellow wings and a hole for the wearer's face in the animal's open jaws. Scorpius instantly felt his stomach plummet, simply because he already knew Al was going to make him wear it. Al turned to him, a huge, excited grin on his face, and Scorpius sighed.

"This is so perfect!" Al said, sounding completely ecstatic. Scorpius looked from Al, back to the costume, and raised an eyebrow.

"Is it?"

Al grabbed it from the rack and handed it to Scorp, pushing him back towards the changing rooms. "It's brilliant. Try it on, I want to see."

Scorpius opened his mouth to protest, but he knew it was no use. He could already feel his cheeks heating up, but he'd agreed to go as a dragon, and really… what else had he been expecting? He moved into the cubicle and pulled the curtain closed, stepping out of his clothes, save for his boxers, and pulled on the costume. He couldn't quite reach the zip in the back, but he could tell it would fit – unfortunately.

"Is it okay?" Al shouted from the other side of the curtain.

Scorpius sighed. "Yes." He looked down at his feet sticking out the bottom of the fuzzy green legs and rolled his eyes. He looked ridiculous.

"Well come out, then."

With a final sigh, he pushed the curtain open and stepped out of the cubicle. Al instantly burst into peals of laughter, and Scorpius considered hiding behind the curtain again. He felt his cheeks heat up to an almost alarming degree and looked down at the ground.

"You look amazing," Al said, between laughing and gasping for breath. Scorpius bit his lip and glanced up at him. Al walked over to him and reached to do up the zip at the back of the costume. Scorpius instantly froze as he felt Al's thumb brush against his skin, and managed to keep from swaying slightly on the spot as his knees threatened to give way beneath him.

"Does it feel okay?" Al asked, and Scorpius just nodded silently. Al smiled. "Good. Go look at yourself in the mirror, then."

Scorpius walked over to the mirror and looked at his reflection. He looked absolutely ludicrous; the shiny yellow wings falling lop-sidedly over his shoulders, and the long, stiff tail sticking out behind him, moving from side to side as he walked. He couldn't have looked sillier if he'd tried, but for some reason, all he could think about was the feel of Al's thumb against his back.

"So, you going to get it?" Al asked.

Scorpius nodded. "Uh huh," he replied, blinking and quickly looking away from the mirror. "I'll go change." He stepped just outside the cubicle and bit his lip. "Um… could you… undo me?" he asked. He didn't feel Al's skin against his this time as the zip was undone, and he slunk back into the cubicle feeling a little disappointed as he changed back into his normal clothes.

He came back out a few minutes later, holding the costume in his arms, having now willed the redness from his face completely.

Al smiled. "We going to go pay for these, then?" he asked. "Then we can get something to eat."

Scorpius nodded and followed him to the counter. Al would have to help him into it again for the party, he realised as he watched him hand over his money.

Suddenly the costume didn't seem quite so stupid, after all.


	34. Chapter 34

a

Scorpius looked at himself in the mirror. He was wearing a fuzzy green dragon costume. He looked ridiculous. He could feel his skin burn and sear with embarrassment, and he'd not even left his dormitory yet.

Al had rushed off early to collect Joanna from Gryffindor Tower, donning his knight costume and brandishing his sword as he ran from the dorm with a cry of "Make way for Sir Albus, bravest knight in all of England." Scorpius had not been amused, as he now had no one to zip him up, and he'd been looking forward to that all week. He sighed at his ludicrous reflection and struggled with the zip behind his back, bending and contorting until he'd fastened himself in. He suddenly felt very claustrophobic and wondered exactly how long he'd be expected to stay at the party before he could sneak off. He was sure Al would be keeping a close eye on him. Unless he was keeping his eyes on Joanna, of course. Scorpius scowled.

He stood for a while longer, debating whether or not he could get away with just not showing up, before realising that Al would probably kill him if he didn't. With another incredibly pained sigh, he turned towards the door and knocked over a tall, brass candelabra with the tail of his costume. He jumped at the noise, spun round and frowned down at the fallen object. He could already tell what kind of night this was going to turn out to be. Without picking it up, he turned again and made his way to the Great Hall.

He could hear the sound of loud music coming from the Great Hall as he ascended the stairs from the Dungeons. It sounded like the party was already in full swing and he felt butterflies suddenly come to life in his gut. There were going to be so many people dressed in amazing, well thought out, and elaborate costumes, and he was… well… he was a fuzzy dragon. He looked like an overgrown children's toy. He paused as he reached the doors. There was no turning back, now; he was wearing the costume and he was standing at the doors. He took a deep breath and stepped inside, bracing himself in preparation for laughter, or some sort of verbal attack, but no one even looked up. He stood in the doorway for a while, looking around dumbly, before he caught sight of Al making his way through the crowd towards him.

"Scorp," Al cried, waving a gauntlet-clad arm at him as he squeezed through a throng of vampires and elves. "You're here, then? I was about to come looking for you."

Scorp shrugged. "Well, you see, someone left me all alone to try and manage this zip by myself."

"Oh, shit, yeah…" Scorpius grinned at the sheepish look that appeared on Al's face. "Sorry about that. Are you all done up, then?"

"Yeah," Scorpius nodded, suddenly wishing that he'd left it undone.

"Well, you look awesome. You should see James; he's come as a pirate. Apparently he thinks girls like boys in eyeliner." Al shrugged and grinned. "I don't think he's going to score many points by referring to them as scurvy wenches, though."

Scorpius grinned and followed Al further into the room, occasionally bumping people's legs with his tail, until the reached the refreshments table. There were hundreds of silver platters piled high with food lining the table, and several large bowls of fruit punch for the students the help themselves to. A ghost – or what Scorpius assumed was meant to be a ghost, as it was merely a white sheet someone had cut eyeholes into and thrown over their head – was grabbing chicken wings and mini cocktail sausages and filling their plate greedily several feet away from where they were standing. Scorpius pulled a face and turned to look around the room as Al ladled out some punch.

"So what did the others come as?" Scorpius asked, looking out for Lily, James and Joanna in particular.

"Well," Albus replied, "Joanna is a princess. As are most of the girls here tonight. I think Rose was going to be a princess, too. Um… Lily is a fairy of some sort, and Hugo… he's the hungry ghost," he finished, grinning and nodding his head in the white sheet's direction. He held out a goblet of punch and Scorp took it, taking a sip and finding, thankfully, that it was non-alcoholic.

"I think you're the only dragon, though," Al continued, smiling.

"Oh, marvellous," Scorpius mumbled into his goblet. As if he needed to feel any more self-conscious. He continued surveying the room as he drank, catching sight of several trolls chasing a blue pixie through the crowd.

"Hey, guys," came Lily Potter's voice from behind him. He turned to see her grinning at them both from the other side of the table, helping herself to a cocktail sausage. "Love the costume, Scorpius."

Scorp felt his cheeks flush, but tried to take it as a compliment. "Thanks," he said awkwardly, giving her a weak smile. "Your, costume is… nice."

She beamed and gave him a twirl. She was wearing a green tutu of sorts, made of green silk and netting that stuck out at odd angles. Her top was a matching shade of green, as were the wings strapped to her back, and her shoulders and cheekbones were covered in some sort of silvery glitter. "I made it myself," she said, proudly. "Well, mostly. The wings I had a bit of help with. And you're looking very dashing, too, brother of mine." She looked around. "Where's Joanna?"

Al finished off his punch and put the goblet down, turning and looking around the room. Scorp felt his jaw clench at the mention of that name and he hid behind his goblet so as to hide the obvious resentment from his face. Al squinted into the crowned, then turned back to Lily and shrugged. "I dunno. She was talking to Claire when I last saw her."

Lily smiled and shrugged. "Oh well. That's a shame." She picked up another cocktail sausage and gave them another brilliant smile. "I'm off to go and dance. See you two later." And with that, she popped the sausage into her mouth and skipped off towards the dance floor.

Scorpius was still pretending to drink, even though his goblet was now empty. He bit down on the rim of it for a few seconds, then calmed himself down enough to remove it from his face.

"Are you going to dance at all tonight?" Al asked, giving Scorp a playful sideways grin. Scorpius frowned.

"Not even if I _weren't_ dressed as the world's most pathetic-looking dragon."

Al laughed and helped himself to more punch. "You don't fancy dancing with anyone, then?" he asked.

Scorpius' whole body seemed to clench. He was silent for a while, then he leaned back casually against the table. "Like who?" he asked, not daring to entertain the idea that had just flitted like a bird across his brain. It would be totally ridiculous. Completely stupid.

Al shrugged. "I dunno…"

There was a silence for several moments, then Al muttered "maybe Rose" under his breath before taking another sip of his punch.

Scorp let out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding and he frowned. "Don't, Albus."

Al raised his hands in surrender and shook his head. "Alright. I'm sorry," he said, sounding chastened. "I won't mention it again."

"Thank you."

There was an awkward silence for a moment, then Scorpius turned to help himself to some food. The sound of Joanna's voice stopped him in his tracks, though.

"There's my knight in shining armour," she cooed, sickeningly. Scorpius felt his skin crawl. Trust her to use such a trite cliché and think it was romantic. He abandoned the food idea and took several steps back as he watched her throw her arms around Al and kiss him soundly.

"I've been looking for you," she said, hanging onto his shoulders and she moved back. "I requested a slow song for us to dance to. It's after this one."

Albus smiled and placed his hands on her hips. Scorpius frowned and looked down at the plate of mini cheese cubes.

"I was actually just about to come and find you. I was worried some lowly knave might try and claim you for himself."

"Oh, please," Scorpius muttered, unable to mask the scowl on his face.

Al turned to him, "Huh?" he asked, smiling. He obviously hadn't heard. Scorpius shook his head.

"Nothing," he said. "Don't worry."

Al let go of Joanna's waist and pulled his gauntlets off, swearing as he dropped one, and bending down to retrieve it from under the table. Scorpius changed a quick glance upwards and found Joanna looking right at him. Neither of them moved or blinked; just stared at each other. The scowl faded from Scorp's face as he caught the expression of Joanna's. The only thing Scorpius could describe it as was fear. He blinked, and that's all he had time to do before Al reappeared from under the table, holding both gauntlets and grinning. "Will you hold these for me while I go and dance?" he asked, holding them out to Scorpius. Scorp tore his eyes away from Joanna and looked down at the proffered objects.

"Uh," he said, taking them and giving Al a small nod. "Sure."

"Thanks, mate," Al smiled, just as the slow song Joanna had mentioned started playing. "See you in a bit."

Scorpius watched Al take Joanna by the hand and lead her out onto the dance floor. He stared after them for several moments, then looked down at the gauntlets. They were still hot and damp from Al's sweaty hand, and Scorpius was overcome with a profound urge to slip his own hands inside. He stared down at them for a while, then up again to see if he could spot Al dancing. He could make out Al's messy mop of black hair and Joanna's dark ringlets as they moved across the floor, and he was suddenly hit with something incredibly sharp and acute.

_He_ wanted to be dancing with Al. He wanted to place his hand in Albus' hand and move with him across the floor. Preferably not in a dragon costume. He wanted to feel what it would be like to be pressed against Al's chest; his nose against Al's cheek. He wanted to close his eyes and be able to inhale him, and even as he thought this he closed his eyes and took a deep breath in through his nose.

The music swirled and spiralled around him, and he opened his eyes again in time to realise that the song was coming to and end. Quickly, he turned to the table and helped himself to another goblet of punch which he could once again hide behind. He was pretty sure he was blushing all over his body and he didn't want Al to see it. Or Joanna. She would know what it meant.

When he turned round, he was thankful to see that Al was alone. Scorp slowly lowered his goblet. "Where's Joanna?" he asked, looking around.

"James asked her to dance, and since he's no threat, I didn't see any problem," he shrugged, grinning wickedly. "And Finnegan's just arrived."

Finnegan's arrival, of course, meant the arrival of his awful blue rum – hidden in the green satchel he had draped over his shoulder. He'd come dressed as a Leprechaun, which Scorpius thought was rather predictable. Several students took it in turns to distract the professors as Finnegan poured generous amounts of rum into each punch bowl, turning the red liquid a rather suspicious shade of purple.

People flocked much more regularly to the punch bowls then, pouring themselves large goblets of drink and coming back for more every fifteen minutes or so to refill. Albus being no exception. Even Scorpius, who had hoped to avoid alcohol tonight, found himself needing a drink or two due to the heat inside his costume.

Lily seemed to be having a good time, if her drunken prancing was anything to go by.

At one point, Scorpius leaned down to get himself a drink and his hand brushed someone's who had gone for the ladle at the same time. He looked up and locked eyes with Rose, suddenly finding himself frozen to the spot. She looked completely different from the last time he'd seen her. Of course she would. Her long brown hair was bundled up neatly on top of her head, and several dark strands hung down over her face in neat curls. Her dress was sleeveless and cream, with white netting and lace, and sparking gemstones. She really did look every inch the fairytale princess. It was really quite impressive.

She quickly withdrew her hand, looking incredibly embarrassed. "Oh… I'm… sorry," she stammered, and Scorpius could see her turning bright crimson. He was positive he was doing likewise. He looked down at the punch, then let go of the spoon.

"Um… sorry. You go ahead," he said, stepping back and turning away from the table. _Merlin_, he thought, _how amazingly awkward_.

He was just about to find somewhere else to stand when a hand clapped him on the shoulder.

"What was THAT?!" Albus all but shrieked. His breath smelt of rum and his mouth had gone a funny shade of puce.

Scorpius narrowed his eyes. "What was what, Al?" he asked, tiredly. Drunken Albus was not his favourite Albus.

"THAT!" Al shrieked again, then lowered his voice. "With Rose. You totally jus' had a moment."

Scorpius sighed impatiently. "No we didn't. Now would you please stop?"

Albus looked almost hurt. "What d'ya mean stop? You should go an' dance with – hic – with her." His speech was slurred and Scorpius could tell Al had had a little bit too much too drink. He should have known this would happen. It was surely the alcohol talking, then, because he knew Albus wouldn't be so stupid as to risk another fight like last time.

"Albus, we've been through this. I don't wish to do it again, so could you please just drop it?" He was trying to keep his voice calm, but it wasn't easy, especially with Al flopping all over him.

"No!" Al said, defiantly. "You don'… you don't… I jus' want you t'be happy – hic."

"Albus, please."

"Why don' you wanna be happy, Scorp?" Al frowned and pushed himself up, wobbling slightly. "I tried to help you, you know. Because you and Rose are… perfect for each other. And you… you don't even… you don' even… you should be happy."

Al's eyes glazed over and he looked like he might cry. Scorpius suddenly didn't feel like he wanted to be here anymore. He could feel that familiar sense of hot dread sliding along his veins; coiling its way around his chest. He clenched his hands into fists by his sides. "Albus…"

"NO!" Al shouted, sounding like a petulant child about to have a tantrum. "You mean so much to me… you're my besht fren'… and I… Merlin, Scorp… I jus' want you to be happy! I tried to help you… you should be with someone… I want you to be happy, you stupid, fucking…"

"SHUT UP!" Scorpius screamed at the top of his lungs, and Albus stopped speaking, still swaying. Scorpius took a deep, shaky breath and lowered his voice. "You want to know why I don't want to date your stupid cousin?!" he snarled, stepping closer to Al. "You want to know the reason I don't want to be with her? And why I don't want to be with _anyone_ you might think to set me up with?! The reason I hate your fucking girlfriend, and the reason I'm wearing this stupid fucking costume…? It's because I love you, you ridiculous idiot! It's because I'm only ever really happy when I'm around you. When you smile at me, and when you sit next to me in class, and when you look at me like I'm the most important thing in the world to you. Because I love you." He paused and felt his throat constrict. "That's why."

Albus blinked at him for several moments, and everything seemed to go still. It felt like a lifetime before Scorpius' heart started pumping again, and then he suddenly had to leave. Without waiting for a response, he turned and made his way from the room as quickly as he could, knocking over several chairs with his tail on the way out.


	35. Chapter 35

a

A blinding stab of pain flashed inside Al's skull. He screwed his eyes shut as tight as he could, before opening them slowly; the dim green light sending an ungodly ache straight into his brain. He groaned and rolled onto his side and it felt like the whole world was moving underneath him. Every time he woke in this state he made a new oath never to go near alcohol again. His stomach made a loud grumbling sound and he brought his legs up to his chest, curling into a foetal position in an attempt hide from the pain.

How much had he actually had to drink, last night? He felt like he'd been trampled by a herd of Hippogriffs. He didn't even remember how he'd found his way back to bed. In fact, he remembered very little of the night's activities; save from sweating profusely in his chain mail vest and dancing.

And Scorpius…

His stomach did a nasty flip and curled up into a tighter ball, hugging his knees to him. He remembered that part of the night quite vividly. He remembered listening dumbly as Scorp had shouted at him, and watching, just as dumbly, as Scorp had stormed out of the room. That's when he'd gone outside. The rest of the night was a blur. He assumed someone must have helped him back to the Common Room, because the last he recalled, he'd been quite adamant about sitting under a tree all night in the rain.

But he did remember Scorpius.

Bile rose in his throat and he swallowed back down, baulking at the vile, acidic taste that burned its way down his oesophagus. He felt sick. Every bone in his body seemed to ache, and his stomach felt like it had been invaded by a hoard of vicious doxies. He could tell lying in bed wasn't going to make it go away any time soon, but he didn't want to get up. He closed his eyes and tried to fall back to sleep, but the angry gurgling coming from his gut, and the dry heave that proceeded it was enough to convince him this wasn't going to happen. With a pathetic whimper, he slowly pushed himself up and blinked groggily at a set of curtains that seemed to sway and shimmer before his bleary eyes. He definitely needed the Hospital Wing, he thought.

He was about to pull the curtains aside when he froze; the sudden realisation that Scorpius might very well be on the other side filling him with a sense of cold dread. How could he face him after last night? What if he was there, sitting on the edge of his bed, waiting for Albus to emerge? What if he wanted to talk? What on Earth could Albus say? He heaved again and shuddered, clapping a hand to his mouth for fear of vomiting all over his lap. Maybe he could just stay here… curl up, not move, and wait until the headache and queasiness subsided by themselves? This was tempting for all of five seconds, before he heaved again and his whole body convulsed with it, his muscles groaning in pain.

The Hospital Wing it was, then.

Reaching out, Albus pulled the curtain aside just enough to have a quick scan of the dormitory. No one seemed to be stirring; several people were snoring loudly in their beds, and Scorpius' curtains were pulled tightly shut. He breathed a sigh of relief and shuffled to the edge of the bed, swinging his legs slowly over the side and standing up. He kept his eyes on Scorp's curtains as he slipped on his slippers and dressing gown, shuddering as the cool air of the dungeon hit his heated skin. His face was clammy and burning hot to the touch and his arms shook slightly as he did up the cord of his robe. He stood for a while, just staring blankly at Scorp's curtains, wondering if he should look inside. It felt strange, knowing he was in there. He was probably awake, too; Scorp had never been one for lie-ins. God… he felt like such a pathetic idiot. He took a step towards Scorp's bed, stopped, froze, then stepped back again.

What exactly would he say? How exactly would that conversation go? No, it was much safer not to chance it. Besides, he was pretty sure he'd probably be violently ill if he were to try and confront Scorp at the moment; his gut was growling and complaining loudly, and his mouth was full of saliva. He turned and padded out of the room, clutching his aching head, and made his way to the Hospital Wing.

"What can I do for you, Mister Potter?" asked Madam Bilberry as Albus staggered into the room.

"Hangover," Al muttered.

Bilberry sighed. "Take a seat, then," she said, standing and brushing off her skirt. "I'll fetch you some Pepperup."

Al slumped into the nearest seat and leaned forward, holding his head between his legs and staring down at the floor. He could feel his insides revolting against him. It was like they'd waged some sort of war and were trying to fight their way free. He closed his eyes as the world spun again and tried to push all thought from his mind. All thought of churning stomach acid, all thought of dehydrated brains, and all thought of Scorpius shouting that he loved him in the middle of a crowded dance floor.

Albus gave an almighty heave and threw up all over the floor.

"Not on the floor, please, Mister Potter," came Bilberry's voice from the far wall. Al wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and looked up sheepishly, his eyes watering slightly.

"Sorry," he mumbled, before standing up and making his way over to the sink. He gripped the rim tightly with his fingers and hunched over it, taking deep breaths and trying to keep his stomach under control. He turned on the tap and rinsed the sick off the back of his hand before cupping some water in his palm and wiping his mouth off.

"Here you are then," said Bilberry, and Al slowly turned and took the offered phial of bright orange potion from her hand. He drank it carefully and braced himself against the edge of the sink as smoke suddenly shot out of his ears like a kettle. The relief was instantaneous; his stomach settled and his head seemed to clear; even his muscles relaxed and stopped aching. The taste of cinnamon and vomit still lingered in his mouth, though, but he'd sort that out with a good brush or three.

"Thanks," he said, handing the empty phial back to Bilberry. "I, er… sorry about… well…" he stammered, indicating the puddle of vomit by the door.

Bilberry turned and made her way back to her desk, cleaning up the mess with a quick flick of her wand and a muttered "_Scourgify._" She took her seat, looked at Albus over the rim of her glasses and raised an eyebrow. "You may go now, Potter."

Al blinked. "Er… yeah," he said, moving towards the door. "Thanks. Again." He made his way back down to his dormitory, noting that Scorp's curtains were still pulled tightly closed, and washed and dressed as quickly as he could before heading for the Great Hall. He scanned quickly for any sign of blond hair at the Slytherin table and breathed out a sigh of relief when he realised Scorp was indeed absent. With another scan, he caught sight of Joanna sitting in the middle of the Gryffindor table, eating breakfast and chatting with Sarah Taggart. He made his way quickly over and gave Sarah a polite smile. "Sorry to interrupt, but can I talk to Jo for a bit?"

Sarah looked at him, looked at Jo, then looked back to him and shrugged. "Sure. Whatever."

Jo frowned and was about to say something, but Al shook his head and pulled her up from the table by the elbow.

"What?" she asked as Al led her away from the table and towards the doors. He shook his head.

"Outside."

Several people looked up from their breakfast as they walked by, but Al ignored them and led Joanna out of the Hall, out of the castle, and onto the soggy grounds.

"Albus!"

He let go of her arm when they were far enough away from the building and turned to face her full-on. "He said he loves me, Jo," Al said, sounding just as baffled as he felt. "He said the reason he doesn't want to date Rose is because he loves me." Al was shaking his head, as if he couldn't quite believe it was true. Joanna simply lowered her eyes.

"I know."

Albus just breathed for several seconds, then he seemed to realise what she'd said. He frowned in confusion. "… what?"

"I know." Joanna sighed, then looked up and met his eye. "I know he does. I…" She shook her head and looked away again, her long dark hair blowing across her face in the wind. Albus opened and closed his mouth several times, not sure exactly what he was supposed to say to that. It wasn't the answer he'd been expected, by any stretch of the imagination.

"You… Sorry. You know? You _knew_?"

Joanna nodded, keeping her eyes trained to the Forbidden Forest to her right.

The silence was only interrupted by the rushing of the wind in Al's ears. Several minutes it lasted – or seemed to; Albus just stood staring at Joanna until the wind died down and Joanna's hair fell messily into her eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked finally, his voice almost a whisper, as if he thought the sound might carry back to the castle.

Joanna looked at him, looking completely lost. "I didn't want…" She paused, moving the hair from her face. "I didn't think it was up to me. It was Scorp's choice."

Al didn't know what to say to that. She was right, of course, but he couldn't help being angry that she'd kept it from him. And for how long? Days? Weeks? Months? How long _had_ Scorpius had these feelings? And why hadn't Scorpius told him before? Why had Scorpius chosen to tell him now? Well… he knew why, but that didn't make this any less complicated and confusing. Scorp should either have told him when he'd first developed these feelings, or not at all. In fact, not at all was probably the best idea, since there was nothing to be gained from this. Al was straight, and in a relationship. With a girl. And what exactly what Scorp hoping to achieve, anyway? God; this was a mess.

"Are you going to talk to him?" Joanna asked, jerking Al out of his maddening reverie. He shook himself and frowned, shrugging

"I don't know," he admitted. "I don't know what to say." He suddenly thought of Scorpius sitting alone in his bed, curtains pulled shut, hiding from the world, and he felt like kicking something. This was not how life was meant to happen. Your best friends weren't meant to fall in love with you – that's not how it worked. It wasn't _fair_.

He took a deep breath and looked blankly up at the miserable grey sky. "I think… I think I just need to be alone for a while."

He felt rather than saw Joanna leave as he kept his eyes fixed on the menacing dark clouds rolling slowly overhead.


	36. Chapter 36

a

It was like someone had wrenched out a part of him.

He'd hidden, of course; there was no way he could stand to face Albus after the party. The curtains on his bed had remained charmed closed for almost twenty four hours, with Scorpius finally venturing out only when he was dry-heaving on an empty, gas-filled stomach, and his bladder threatened to burst inside his body. He'd snuck along corridors, checking around corners, feeling almost physically sick with dread at the possibility of bumping into Albus on his way to the kitchens. The relief that washed over him when he finally reached the kitchen and begged the elves to let him eat something was short-lived, however, when he'd sat down to his meal and promptly burst into tears. The House-elves asked what was wrong, but he couldn't tell them. He could hardly speak.

His meal went largely uneaten, and he'd quickly made his way back to the safety of his bed, to lie undisturbed for a further eighteen hours.

The weekend ended, and Scorpius woke early on Monday morning to the sound of his fellow dorm mates getting ready for class. He could hear the shuffling of feet on carpet, and the rustle of fabric against skin, but he didn't move. He couldn't see himself going anywhere today. He felt absolutely drained – as if he'd had the life sucked out of him. He frowned as he listened to Al pick up his bag from beside the bed and make his way towards the door. It was strange, but as hurt as he was, and as much as he regretted his words at the party, he found himself feeling angry at Al. Angry for what, though, he wasn't entirely sure.

Was he angry that Al had been so obtuse? He could hardly blame him for that, though. Scorpius had only recently realised what those feelings were, himself – he couldn't expect Al to be a mind-reader. Was he angry at Al's lack of response? But then what sort of response had he actually been expecting? Perhaps he was just projecting his anger at himself onto Al because it was easier to justify it that way? Why should he be angry at himself? He was the one hurting, here. He was the one who'd lost a friend. He was the one feeling like he'd never be able to get out of bed again. It wasn't his fault.

He sighed even as he thought it, and rolled over, pulling the covers up over his head and pretending he was somewhere else.

He made it all the way to Thursday before the pain of not studying finally got to him. He was sure he was suffering withdrawal, and he wondered how much homework he'd missed out on. Nobody had thought to bring him anything, or tell him what they were meant to be doing. In fact, nobody had spoken to him at all these past few days. He'd gone nearly a week with virtually no human contact, and nobody seemed to have missed him. That was a depressing thought.

He pushed himself out of bed, got ready, and made his way down to breakfast. He spotted Albus instantly, sitting by the door, picking at his food and occasionally turning to talk with Michael Gratski. He stood in the doorway for a while, then made his way purposefully to the far end of the table. Breakfast was quiet and Scorpius ate undisturbed before heading down to the Dungeons for potions. It wouldn't be too bad, he thought; he'd had potions class while he and Al had been avoiding each other before. He could get through this. However, this time there was a slight difference. Before, he'd been the one avoiding Al – he'd called the shots; this time… well… this time Al was the one avoiding him.

And it was more than that.

Al wasn't there when Scorpius pushed open the door and stepped into the classroom; something that Scorp was thankful for. He chose a table at the back and sat next to the same Ravenclaw boy he'd worked with several weeks before. He unpacked his books and shoved his bag under the table, keeping his eyes downcast, as if he thought someone might question his choice of seating if he made any sort of eye contact. The boy beside him was silent, and Scorpius wasn't sure if he was relieved or unnerved. He suddenly wondered if anybody knew what had happened at the party. The thought hadn't occurred to him at all, but there was every possibility people had overheard. He looked up and around the room, his heart creeping its way up his throat as he surveyed the chamber and all the individuals in it for any signs of… of…

He didn't know. And nobody appeared to be paying him any notice. They were all talking amongst themselves and looking through books. The door flew open and Scorpius almost jumped out of his skin as Professor Strock strolled in, carrying a wooden tray, on which were several dozen small phials.

"Right," said Strock, placing his tray onto his desk. "Today I thought we'd do something a little different than usual. As you can see, I have brought with me today several bottles of potions ingredients. I have some ground scarab beetles." He lifted up one phial to show the class before putting it back down. "Armadillo bile." He raised a second phial. "Lionfish spines and Jobberknoll feathers." The last two bottles he raised together, before walking round to stand beside the desk. "These ingredients can be used in various combinations to create different potions. They are the main ingredients to several of the potions we've studied so far this term, along with other items you will find in the cabinet at the back of the class. I want you all, working on your own, to produce one of these potions for me by the end of the lesson. Record your progress and findings, please. This will be important for the homework I'll be setting."

There was a pause. "Well," said Strock, gesturing to his wooden tray. "Come and collect your ingredients, then."

Everyone got up and made their way to the front – Scorpius joined the queue last, thankful that there would be no working in pairs or groups today. He took his phials back to the table and flicked through his notes. There were several potions to choose from, he already knew that, but it was just a case of identifying which would be the most challenging. He glanced over at the Ravenclaw boy's book and saw that he'd chosen one of the easier options – as, he assumed, had most of the others. Albus probably would have, too.

He flicked to the page on wit-sharpening potion and went to fetch some ginger from the cupboard.

He worked in silence, and was glad for the distraction the task provided. He'd sliced his ginger root up finely, dropped it into his gently simmering cauldron, and was about to write down a note on the temperature of the water before the door opened and Albus stepped into the room, looking sheepish and mouthing a silent apology to the Professor.

"Take a seat, Mr. Potter," Strock said, glancing up from his book. "I'm sure Miss Bluehover will be happy to fill you in."

Scorpius looked back down and kept his eyes on his book, pointedly not looking up as Albus noisily pulled up a chair next to Isabelle Bluehover and unpacked his bag.

The lesson seemed to move incredibly slowly. Scorpius found himself purposefully trying to take his time, constantly looking for a reason not to glance across the room. He shuffled slightly to the right, hiding as best he could behind his cauldron as he alternately took down notes and spent several long moments just staring blankly at the tip of his quill. Finally, the lesson came to an end. Scorp's potion had been finished for a good twenty minutes and he'd been running out of distractions. He quickly packed up his bag and headed for the door, making it all the way to the other side of the room before some small, stupid part of him made him look up.

Al was looking directly at him, and their eyes locked for just a fraction of a second before Al quickly looked away again.

Scorp's throat constricted, and he clenched his jaw painfully as he all but threw himself from the room.


	37. Chapter 37

a

Albus winced as Lily shouted his name from across the library. Several people angrily shushed her and he sunk a little deeper into his chair as he heard her apologise and make her way over.

"There you are," she said, pulling up a chair opposite Al and giving him a sunny grin. "Are you studying?" She looked down at his book, and Al subtly tried to cover the blank page with his hands. He hadn't actually been doing much of anything for the past two hours.

"Uh… yeah," he said, shrugging. "Sort of. What do you want?" He wasn't really in the mood for Lily's cheery banter. He'd come down here to be alone, if truth be told – to think. Although he was having some difficulty thinking of much beyond how utterly ridiculous this whole situation was.

"Just wanted to see how you were," replied Lily, her smile faltering as she looked up at Al and narrowed her eyes slightly. "Joanna's not been in the best of moods, lately. You two alright?"

"We're fine." Al turned a page in his book, looking for something to occupy himself with; perhaps Lily would leave him alone if he actually looked busy.

"Okay."

There was a brief silence, and Al thought maybe he'd been successful. No such luck.

"It's just that she said you'd had an argument, and she doesn't know what to do."

Al ignored her, turning another page and pretending to be deeply engrossed in lacewing fly crushing methods.

"What was the argument about?"

He grit his teeth.

"Al…?"

"God, Lily," he snapped, looking up. "It's none of your business, alright? We'll sort things out on our own, just… stop trying to meddle, will you?"

"Sorry," she said, and sat back in her chair. Albus looked back down at his book, just staring blankly at his page. The sound of pages turning and quiet chatter filled the large room once again and Al was sure Lily had given up.

"I was just wondering if it was about Scorpius," she said, and Al winced. His hands clenched around the edges of his book and he let out a long sigh, before looking up at her slowly.

"Don't tell me you know, as well?" he asked, sounding slightly exasperated. Lily nodded, almost apologetically, and gave a weak smile.

"Yeah," she said, softly. "I've known for a while, actually. Well… I was pretty sure, anyway."

Al groaned and let go of his book, lifting his hands to run them both through his hair. "Am I the only one who didn't see this?" He felt absolutely stupid. He also felt utterly terrified that everyone else in the school had known and had been laughing at him all this time for being so blind. Clearly it had been obvious to Joanna, and now Lily, too.

"Well," Lily began, tilting her head at a slight angel. "It's not common knowledge, if that's what you're worried about."

Al's stomach calmed itself a fraction at that. That was something, at least. He looked up at her through his fingers and sighed again. "Who else does know, then?"

Lily shrugged. "I don't think anyone does. Not as far as I'm aware, anyway. People would have been talking about it if they did." She paused. "How is Scorpius, anyway?"

Al sighed. "I dunno. I haven't seen him for days."

"You haven't checked on him?"

Al was silent and Lily shook her head, making his insides twist unpleasantly. He _should_ have checked on Scorp – Merlin only knew what he was going through. He'd looked awful the morning he'd finally decided to join them for breakfast, and he'd actually gone three whole days without attending a single class. That in itself was worrying, but… what on Earth was he meant to say to him?

Albus looked at her for a while, then lowered his hands, sinking further into his chair. "So what am I meant to do about this? I mean… am I just meant to be friends with him as if nothing happened? Just ignore that he said anything at all?"

"Well… is that what you _want_ to do?"

Albus groaned again and looked up at the ceiling in frustration. He didn't know what he wanted to do about anything at the moment.

"Do you miss him, Albus?" Lily asked.

Al nodded wordlessly.

"Alright, do you want to be his friend?"

Again, Al nodded.

"Then it's really kind of obvious what you should do, isn't it? I mean, he's had these feelings for you for… well… at least a while. He's not done anything about them, has he? I don't think he's _expecting_ anything from you in that sense."

Al was silent for a while, still staring up at the ceiling. He took a deep breath and flopped forward again, propping up his chin in both hands, his elbows resting on the table. "No… I guess that's true."

"How do you feel about him?" Lily asked, and Albus looked at her blankly for a few moments.

"… what do you mean?"

"Well…" she shrugged. "How do you feel about him? You've been best friends for years. You miss him when he's not around. You're miserable when he doesn't come to watch your games. Why is that?"

Albus frowned, confused. "He's important to me, I guess. He was my first friend at Hogwarts. He helps me study. He makes me laugh. He's one of the few people I can really let go with and be myself around."

Lily smiled at him, and Albus' confusion deepened. "And does knowing about his feelings change any of that for you? Like… is he any less important to you, now?"

"No," Al shook his head, genuinely shocked that Lily would even think to ask that. "Of course not."

Lily just looked at him for a while, smiling a weird, unreadable smile.

"What?" he asked, getting slightly annoyed at her cryptic questioning all of a sudden.

"Really, Al…" she chuckled. "You're one of the most incredibly oblivious people I've ever had the misfortune of being related to. I'm not going to spell anything out for you."

Albus didn't know what she was talking about, but he didn't particularly like her tone, or the smug grin now plastered across her face. "Fine, I don't need advice from you, anyway. Just… go away and let me study."

"What are you studying?"

Albus stuttered, having completely forgotten what he was meant to have been reading; he frowned. "You just… you…" He sat, glaring at her for a while, before hastily shoving his books into his bag and standing up. "Go and pester someone else for a while. You're _so_ annoying."

He realised he sounded childish, even as he said it, but he couldn't think of anything else to say. And it was true. He turned and stormed out of the library, heading towards the Dungeons. Maybe there he'd get some peace.


	38. Chapter 38

Not even the prospect of Quidditch practice managed to excite Albus – that's how distracted he was. He followed Ed and Jeremiah to the Quidditch shed, his Cherry Falcon draped over his shoulder, and collected up a bundle of school brooms from the corner.

"We should be in for a good practice today," said Ed, tucking the box of practice balls under his arm. "Not really warm, but at least it's not raining, eh'?"

Al shrugged and made a non-committal grunt, not really listening. He wasn't really in the mood to play Quidditch today. Nor had he been in the mood to east breakfast, go to class, have lunch, talk to anyone, or really even get out of bed much. The only reason he'd bothered with Quidditch practice was because Ed and Jerry had threatened to hide his broom if he didn't get his lazy arse out of bed. He'd been a pretty lousy Team Captain this year, that was for sure. Between his fights with Scorpius and the heavy workloads their Professors had been lumping them with, Quidditch had taken somewhat of a backseat this term.

They made their way across the pitch to where the rest of the team were already gathered.

"Leaving practice a bit late this year, aren't you?" called Michael Gratski, leaning on his broom stirrup. "Already a week into November."

"When's our first match this year, anyway?" asked Ed, turning to Al. Al went over the vague schedule in his mind. He'd not paid much attention to it yet, since it seemed like they had all the time in the world when he'd first got it.

"Early February, I think," he replied, guessing more than anything. He knew the three matches were pretty evenly spaced, and that the last match was only a week or two before they broke up for summer. It made sense for it to be in February some time. That only gave them three months of practice time. He sighed; they'd need to start pulling their finger out if they wanted to win this year.

"Alright", he said, lowering his broom holding it in both hands, down by his waist. "Since this is our first practice of the year, we'll start out with the basics. Brush up a bit. Craig, Alex and Ed, you practice passing and tackles. Try and score a few, as well. Mike?" he said, addressing the team's Keeper. "You do what you do best. Jerry, you hit the Bludgers towards us, Ian can keep them back. Okay, guys?"

The team nodded, mounted, and kicked off. Al flew over to the far side of the pitch to keep an eye of proceedings, but found he was only half-heartedly paying attention. The three Chasers were on form, as usual, and even managed to get a goal or two past Michael, but Al just couldn't seem to muster the enthusiasm to care too much. He kept going over his conversation with Lily from several days ago.

How much had things actually changed? Well, of course something had changed, or Albus wouldn't have been feeling so completely lost; but what did this specifically change about his and Scorpius' friendship? Lily was right; it was obvious Scorpius had had these feelings for some time, or the outburst at the party would never have happened. And if Scorp had had these feelings for a while and done nothing about them, just carried on as normal, then Al could only assume that meant he didn't want to disturb the balance.

But then why had he told him? Surely he could have said any number of things instead of what he did? Did that mean he was expecting more? Had he been expecting some sort of returned confession? Is that why he'd left so quickly when Al hadn't replied?

But he probably would have done something before that point if he had. Surely Al would have noticed? He realised he could be a little oblivious sometimes, but not even _he_ was that completely dense.

"Potter," came Ian's voice from across the pitch. "Wake up, mate."

Al blinked and looked up. The practice Snitch was fluttering just several feet in front of his face. He sighed and dived for it, missing it by inches as it swerved artfully and zoomed off across the pitch. Al followed, keeping it in his sights until it doubled back on him and seemed to vanish into thin air. The game continued, Al now hovering at the other end of the pitch, staring off into space once again.

He didn't think Scorpius would expect anything of him in that sense. He'd _never _expected anything of him. That's part of what made Scorpius so special. He gave so much of his time for him, helping him study, getting his grades up, teaching him new things… and he'd never once asked for anything in return. It hardly seemed fair to think he'd make any kind of assumptions based on his own feelings towards Al.

And if Scorpius expected nothing, what was there stopping them from being friends? Carrying on as normal? Of course, there was the obvious… Albus now knew how Scorpius felt, and that was slightly odd. He'd never experienced something like this before. He wasn't stupid; he knew gay people existed, and there was nothing wrong with people being gay. It was all just love at the end of the day, wasn't it? He'd just never really thought about it before. Nobody he knew was gay. At least… up until this point.

And was Scorp even gay? Maybe he was bisexual? Maybe he was one of those straight guys who develops a crush on a man? But then… had Scorpius ever dated a girl? Albus couldn't remember Scorpius ever going on a single date. Unless text books counted? He wracked his brains, but nothing came to mind.

"Albus!"

Al looked up to see the Snitch dancing around his head, and Craig looking exasperatedly at him.

He leaned forward and chased the Snitch round the back of the goalposts, down to the ground and up again before losing it beside one of the Hufflepuff stands. He really wasn't on his best game, today. He sighed and leaned back on his broom, letting one leg swing freely from its stirrup as he went back to ignoring the game at hand.

Lily had asked him how he felt about Scorpius, and his feelings for his best friend hadn't lessened at all. And why should they? He did miss him, and he did still want to be his friend, but would Scorpius be the same person after this? Would _he_ be the same person after this? He looked down at his broom handle as he mulled things over in his head. If he went to speak to Scorpius, what would he say? Would they discuss what had happened and try and clear the air once and for all? Or would that just complicate things further? Would they both ignore it and act as if it had never happened? And exactly how long would it be before one of them snapped?

It wasn't that he was worried about Scorpius bringing it up; it was that he, himself, had questions. Like… '_how long_?' And '_why_?' And '_does this mean we can't be as close anymore_?' The thought of a negative response to that last question made his stomach clench.

"Al!" cried Ian, loudly. "Move!"

Al looked up just in time to see a Bludger hurtling at full-speed towards his face. He lifted his broom as quickly as he could, but couldn't get out of the way fast enough. As he swung himself round, the Bludger connected painfully with his knee, knocking him off balance. He clutched at his broom as he swayed and only just managed to keep himself seated as he brought it down and rolled off onto the ground the second he touched the grass. The other players landed and rushed over to Albus, who was clutching his knee to his chest and hissing through firmly clenched teeth. His knee felt like it had been hit repeatedly with a sledgehammer and the pain was making him feel sick.

"You alright, mate?" asked Alex, kneeling beside him and looking worriedly at his knee.

Albus just shook his head, fearing that any speech would be laced with the hoarse, tell-tail signs of tears.

"Right, let's get him to Bilberry," said Michael, and he, Craig and Alex lifted him in their arms and carried him back to the castle.

Albus winced and hissed and groaned as they carried him, but said nothing, just kept his eyes closed until they got to the Hospital Wing and the three of them placed him down onto the nearest bed.

"My goodness me," cried Madam Bilberry, rushing over from her desk on the far side of the room. "What happened here?"

Alex, Craig and Michael explained what had happened, which Albus was thankful for, and Madam Bilberry rolled her eyes. "Oh, is that all?" she said. "I thought it was something serious."

Albus would have punched her if he weren't in so much pain.

She waved her wand over Al's knee and Al could slowly feel the pain start to subside. After several moments, the pain was gone, but it had been replaced with an unusually hot tingling sensation. He straightened out his leg and opened his mouth to ask exactly what the heat was, but Bilberry answered the question before he could ask it.

"You're knee is going to be quite tender for the next day or so, Potter. The heat you're probably feeling is the magic working on the cracks in your bone. Try not to do anything too strenuous and you should be good as new in the next couple of days. Now, off you go."

Al blinked, finding it much easier to keep the tears at bay now that the pain was gone. "Thanks," he said, giving her a small smile, before he and the other three made their way from the room.

"You're really not with it today, are you?" Alex remarked as they made their way along the corridor.

Al shrugged. "Not entirely. Sorry guys," he said, feeling as if he'd let the team down. "I've not been the best captain so far this year. I promise we'll get out and do more practising soon."

Alex nodded. "When that knee's had time to fix properly, perhaps we can give it another shot? I hear Hofton met The Southampton Swallows over the summer. I'll bet he picked up a load of new tips to pass on to the Ravenclaw team."

"Well, I'll see how I feel in a couple of days," Al nodded, knowing that they were falling behind in their training and he was damned if he was going to let Ravenclaw get the better of them. They were so smug.

When they got to the Great Hall, Craig and Michael left to grab lunch, leaving Al and Alex by the doors.

"I'm gonna go and… read," Al said, wanting an excuse to slink back to his bed and think some more.

"Alright, mate," Alex nodded. "You take it easy."

Al nodded and went to walk away before stopping and frowning. "Hey, um… what would you do if…" he paused, then shook his head. "Never mind." On second thought, he wasn't particularly sure he wanted to discuss it with anyone. He didn't think he could trust his team mates to keep it secret, and he didn't want to embarrass Scorp like that. "See ya."

He made his way carefully down the stairs and up to his dormitory, sliding into bed and hiding under the covers.


	39. Chapter 39

It was quiet – a blessing Scorpius was incredibly thankful for, because he had work to catch up on. For some reason, those three days he'd missed out on just happened to be the days on which the teachers had given out their biggest load of homework to date. It seemed entirely fitting with Scorp's luck of late, and he berated himself harshly and repeatedly throughout the day. He'd turned so many pages that his fingertips had turned black with rubbed-off ink, and his eyes were starting to sting. Every time he took his glasses off to give his eyes a rest they filled with water, and he had to spend several minutes hiding them behind his hands in order to stop the ache.

He'd chosen his usual study spot in the Common Room, since the library had been a little too noisy for his liking. Hidden behind the bookcase at the back of the long room, Scorpius had remained blissfully undisturbed for nearly five straight hours. He'd got one piece of Arithmancy homework out of the way, and was currently looking for a quote to back up his argument that Wormwood could easily be substituted for Belladonna in a Draught of the Living Death potion when the door opened and the sound of many female voices flooded the previously quiet Common Room.

"Did she say how long it would take to heal?" cried one – Scorpius recognised it as Olivia Wilmot's voice.

"Will you be able to walk on it properly?" asked another.

"Did it really hurt?"

"How did you manage to stay on your broom?"

"Do you need a massage?"

Scorpius frowned in confusion and put down his quill. He was about to check what all the fuss was about when Al's voice made him stop dead, leaning back in his chair in a slightly precarious position. He bit his lip and lowered himself back to the floor quietly, placing his quill down on the table.

"It's really not too bad," Al said, and the girls around him made a sort of gasping noise. Scorpius wasn't sure what was going on, but part of him suddenly felt slightly anxious. What was Al meant to have done? Why wouldn't he be able to walk? Why would he have fallen off his broom? He bit his lip.

"Did she say what was wrong with it?" asked Olivia again, simpering, as she always seemed to do.

"Well, it broke my knee, I'm guessing," Al replied. "She did some sort of healing spell on it, at any rate. And yeah, it did hurt when it happened. Felt like my leg had come off."

Scorpius' stomach did a violent summersault and his whole body went rigid. Al had had an accident? How? Was he alright? He turned around in his chair, not yet daring to move out from behind the bookcase.

"So what actually happened?" came Jake Nott's voice, and instead of rolling his eyes, as Scorpius usually did when Nott tried to brownnose his way into Al's good graces, he listened intently.

"Well, me and the guys were practising, and I wasn't really concentrating on the game. Bludger got me in the knee. Nothing interesting."

Scorpius noted the lack of real enthusiasm in Al's tone and he wondered if everything was alright. Albus usually loved being in the spotlight, surrounded by adoring fans and gushing girls; it wasn't like him to sound so… bored. He shuffled his chair slightly closer to the edge of the bookcase and leaned against it, his eyes slightly narrowed, as if this would somehow give him a better insight into Al's mood.

"How long before you can start playing again?" asked Nott, eagerly. "You have your first game in a few months. Did you hear Hoften met the South-"

"The Southampton Swallows," Al finished. "Yeah, heard that. I should be fine in a couple of days. She just said to take things easy until then."

"Does it hurt at all?" asked Olivia again. "I have a pain relieving salve. I could rub it in for you?"

Scorpius frowned and didn't even try to hide it. The arrogant, assuming little tart. Didn't she know that Al was… was… What? Was _his_? Something inside throbbed painfully and he took a deep breath to try and calm it down. There was no use getting upset. Al wasn't even his _friend_ anymore, let alone… well… anything else.

"No, thanks," was Al's simple reply. "I'm just… can I be alone for a bit, please? I'm not feeling too good."

"Oh, is there anything…"

"Jake. Please. I don't want to do anything for me. I don't want you to fetch me a drink or mop my brow. I don't want you to give me ideas about new Quidditch strategies… I just want to be left alone."

Scorpius suddenly felt quite unsettled, and his anxiety doubled as Nott made his way across the room to slump down angrily onto one of the couches at the back of the room. Scorpius stood up and took a small step out from behind the bookcase, watching as Al massaged the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. When he lowered his hand and looked up, Scorpius could see how pale he looked, and how dazed. He almost appeared as if he were sleep walking.

Scorp clutched the edge of the bookcase tightly, wanting more than anything to go over and make sure Al was alright. He certainly didn't look it, and Scorpius had to wonder why that was. It was more than just his knee, he could tell that much. He knew Albus too well to think a simple Quidditch injury would get in the way of so much praise and adulation from his devoted fans. His chest felt hollow as he fought back the urge to leave the safety of his hiding place and ask if everything was okay. He couldn't… he knew he couldn't do that. Al didn't want to speak to him. He'd made that much obvious by the way he'd pointedly avoided him this past week.

Al let out a loud sigh and turned in his direction, catching his eye and holding it for several incredibly agonising seconds. Scorpius found he couldn't look away, and was almost thankful when Albus finally did. He quickly ducked back behind his bookcase and closed his eyes, feeling the corners of them sting in warning. He took a deep breath and peered out from behind the bookcase again to check Al had gone before quickly packing his books into his bag and making his way hastily from the Common Room.

He wasn't sure where he was going, he just needed to be away from Albus right now. He didn't trust himself not to do something stupid, like follow him to their dormitory and attempt to make pathetic conversation. What good would that do? What possible purpose would it serve? Other than to utterly humiliate him when Al told he wasn't interested? No, it was best for him to go somewhere quiet. Study. Get on with his life. Dwelling on things would only slow him down, and he had so much work to do as it was.

He finally stopped walking when he reached the Greenhouse. He looked up and blinked, unsure why his feet had chosen to take him here. He guessed it was one place he was unlikely to be disturbed. With another deep sigh, he pushed open the door, stepped inside and hid himself in empty corner. There was work to do.


	40. Chapter 40

He watched Scorp from across the room, noting his bowed head and hunched shoulders; he was going to develop back pains if he kept sitting like that. It was very defensive and protective, Albus knew that; it sent out very negative vibes, which the others had all obviously cottoned onto over the years. He was sure Scorpius was glad of that, too. He wasn't sitting in his usual spot, Al noticed, as it had been hijacked by a small group of second years playing Exploding Snap. Instead, he was sitting at a table by the fireplace, facing the back of the room, trying to hide as best he could between several large piles of books. It was about as Scorpius as Scorpius could get.

Al had been watching him for almost an hour, just sitting and staring at the back of Scorp's brilliantly blond head, working up the courage to move. It had been a twelve days since the party; twelve days since he and Scorp had last spoken. It felt like twelve years. Scorp's absence felt like some part of his body had been wrenched off and taken away. It was absurd how much Albus found he was missing him, and his talk with Lily, although infuriating, had really made him realise just how important Scorpius was in his life. He'd never stopped to consider it before – Scorpius had always just… _been_ there – but now… now he was feeling that loss keenly.

He looked away from Scorp's back and screwed his eyes shut tight, clenching his hands into tightly balled fists and feeling every muscle in his body tense so hard he felt as if he might explode. With a long exhale, he relaxed and stood up, making his way slowly towards the table. He had nothing planned… nothing beyond sitting down and hoping something not completely stupid came out of his mouth… but he had to do this. He had to be the one to make this first move, because he knew Scorpius wouldn't. And who could blame him? Every step made Al's heart thump harder and harder in his chest, until he was sure it was about to burst out of his ribcage.

When he reached the edge of the table, he swallowed hard, past the knot of panic in his throat, and sat casually in the chair opposite Scorpius.

He could see Scorp's body instantly stiffen and he knew this wasn't going to be the easy walk in the park he'd foolishly hoped for. But he was here now, and he couldn't turn back. Nor did he really want to, if he was being completely honest with himself. Scorpius kept his eyes fixed on his book, pointedly not looking up, and Albus just sat and watched him for a while, to see if his presence would change anything.

Several minutes of this incredibly uncomfortable silence passed before Albus cleared his throat, making Scorpius physically jump.

"What… uh…" Al nodded his head towards Scorp's book. "What are you reading?"

"_Hector Hacklepot's Guide to Helpful Hexes_," Scorp replied, not looking up. He continued to read in silence and Albus bit his lip, feeling slightly at a loss as to how to proceed. He shifted in his chair slightly and leaned forward, crossing his arms on the tabletop.

"Cool," Al nodded, having already forgotten the title. "How's studying going, then?" He was essentially just taking wild stabs in the dark and hoping for the best.

Scorpius gave a small, barely noticeable shrug and continued reading.

"I've been trying to study, but I keep getting interrupted," Al went on, hoping to get some sort of notable reaction out of him. He found it suddenly very hard to talk about himself, which was odd, because he was usually quite good at that. "It's going to be hard for me to do much studying in the next couple of months," he said. "Quidditch practice is going to start becoming a regular thing again. I've let the guys down a bit this year. We've only had one practice so far and I managed to break my knee."

"Mmm," Scorpius nodded, turning a page and keeping his eyes downcast as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. Albus wanted to head-butt something. He pushed on, regardless.

"Bludger got me. Guess I wasn't paying too much attention. Madam Bilberry fixed me up, though. Said I'd be fit to play again in a couple of days. So I guess that's good, eh?"

There was no response this time and Albus sighed. "Scorp… please talk to me," he said, sounding exasperated.

Scorpius looked up, frowning, and put down his quill. "What, Albus? What do you want me to say? What could you possibly think I would have to say?"

"Anything," Al said, aware just how desperate he sounded. "Anything, Scorp. I just… God, anything. Shout at me or something…"

Scorpius shook his head and looked down at his book again. "I'm not going to shout at you. I need to study."

"You always study, Scorpius." Albus leaned further forward and placed the tips of his fingers on the top of Scorp's page to get his attention. It worked; Scorpius looked up again. "I just want to talk to you. I want to be your friend… I want us to…"

"… go back to how we were before?" Scorpius' voice was soft and void of all the venom Albus had been expecting. It caught him slightly off guard. He removed his fingers from Scorp's book and sat back in his chair again, but this time Scorpius' eyes remained on him.

"I miss you," Al said after a while, feeling more prone than he had in a while, because now it was his turn to lay his feelings on the line for Scorp to either accept or turn away. "I miss talking to you, and I miss laughing with you. And going to Hogsmeade, and just… sitting in the Common Room saying nothing together. Merlin, Scorp, I even miss _studying_ with you." He paused and just looked at Scorpius, trying his best to make sure Scorp knew he was telling the truth. "These past few days have been really shit for me."

"Oh, poor you," Scorpius drawled, moving to pick his quill pack up. Albus groaned and grabbed Scorp's wrist, squeezing it slightly harder than he had intended.

"No, look… I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry I'm an idiot. I'm sorry I say stupid things sometimes. I'm sorry for not talking to you about things at the party, and I'm sorry for being a coward and not coming to talk to you before now. I'm so sorry. But you mean so much to me. You're too important for me to not have you in my life, and I don't want anything to come between us."

He could feel Scorpius' arm tremble in his hand and he let go, chewing the corner of his lip nervously as he watched Scorpius lower his eyes again and furrow his brow. He had no idea if he'd said the right thing, all he knew is that he wanted Scorpius to be his friend more than anything else right now.

"Al…" Scorpius began, then stopped, taking off his glasses and placing them on top of his book. Albus said nothing. "I don't like that I told you. And I regret that entire night. In fact, after this, I never want to talk about it ever again… but if we're friends, Albus… I don't want this to be an issue."

Al shook his head.

"I don't want to discuss it, and I don't want you to treat me any differently than you did before I said it. It changes nothing. Okay?"

Al nodded again. "Okay," he said, pushing aside the niggling urge to ask questions. He didn't want to do anything to ruin this. He just wanted Scorpius back. Right now, that was the most important thing. He could feel his heart still hammering in his chest and hear the blood rushing in his ears. He was sure his whole face had gone red; he could feel the blood heating up his skin. He felt like crying, actually, and it wasn't until his vision swam that he realised he nearly was. He quickly blinked and took a deep breath, giving Scorpius a wide smile. "Thanks."

He wasn't entirely sure what he was saying thank you for; for being forgiven, or for getting his best friend back. Either way, he felt so much better.

He knew things weren't going to be as easy as they always had been - he still had questions he knew weren't going to go away – but he had Scorpius back; his friend - his Scorpius; and that was enough for now.


	41. Chapter 41

Light suddenly streamed in through the wide gap in his curtains. Scorpius groaned and was about to pull his covers up over his head when Al's grinning face appeared through the gap.

"Happy Birthday, Scorp," he said brightly, before wrenching the curtains open all the way. This time Scorpius did pull the covers up.

"Come on," Al said, and Scorpius had no time to grasp at the covers before they were pulled away, exposing him to the cool dungeon air. Thankfully he was wearing his pyjamas. He screwed his eyes up tighter, feeling unusually groggy this morning, and rolled away from the light.

Albus sighed. "You're not allowed to be a boring git today," he said. "I've arranged stuff. There's a cake waiting for you in the kitchen and I made you a party hat. Look."

Scorpius rolled back over and cracked open an eye to see Albus holding out a very sloppily-put-together, yellow and orange paper hat. Scorpius opened both eyes and looked at it for a bit, then up into Al's earnestly smiling face, and he grinned wryly. "You didn't make the cake, too, did you?"

Al snorted and threw the hat at him. "Put that on and get ready. Or… get ready first. Anyway… I'll be downstairs." He gave another beaming smile and left the dormitory.

Scorpius sighed and picked up the hat, examining the flimsy piece of string Al had stuck to the bottom. It was terribly made, and would probably fall apart in the slightest breeze, but it was touching that Al had thought to actually make him something. Nobody had ever _made_ him anything before. He supposed that was to be expected, really; growing up with the advantages he'd had as a child.

Even Al, who had been his best friend for years, had never actually made him anything before. He looked at the hat again, turning it over in his hands, and sighed. It was obviously Al's way of overcompensating. He wondered if Al even realised he was doing it. They'd made up five days ago, and as pleased as Scorpius was to have his friend back, he couldn't help but notice how _hard_ Albus had been trying to act… well… normally. As if nothing had happened. He could tell Al was all too aware of how things had changed – and they had, no matter how good a job they were both doing of not talking about it – and it was becoming harder to ignore.

Al was spending more time with him than he ever had in the past – and they'd spent _most_ of their time together. It was as if he was going out of his way to appear unaffected; coming to find him in the library to study - Albus had _never_ actively sought him out for that, before – coming to wait outside his classroom at the end of every lesson, before walking him to his next. It wasn't that Scorpius disliked spending this time with Al, it was just that it seemed a little forced. He didn't want anything about their friendship to be forced. He didn't want Al putting on a front if he wasn't comfortable, or pretending he was okay with everything if he wasn't. He just wanted everything to go back to how it was before.

With another small groan, he pushed himself out of bed and went to get ready. He washed and dressed, put the hat carefully on top of his head, and tied the string under his chin. It really was quite ridiculous-looking, but he'd wear it. It was better than a dragon costume, at any rate. With a final check, he descended the stairs to the Common Room and was surprised to see Al engrossed in conversation with Lily. She noticed him first and gave him a cheerful wave, and Al grinned at the hat sitting lop-sidedly on Scorpius' head.

"Nice one," he said, looking quite pleased with himself. Scorpius scoffed.

"I'm only wearing it to keep you quiet," he replied, grinning.

"I think it suits you," Lily chimed in, standing between them and looking incredibly excited for some reason. "You look very handsome."

Scorpius could feel his cheeks flush. "Uh… thank you," he replied, having never received that sort of compliment from anyone but his mother. "How did you…?"

"Al let me in," Lily replied, pre-emptively. "Said it was your birthday and I was to come and celebrate with you because there would be cake and party hats." She frowned suddenly and turned to Al. "Where's _my_ party hat?"

Albus shrugged. "I lied about the party hats."

Lily _humpf_-ed, but the smile was back on her face almost instantly as she looked at Scorpius again. "Well, I guess that's fair. It's your birthday, so you get the hat." She turned back to Al. "But I want one for my birthday, too."

Al smirked and turned to the door. "Come on."

"A yellow one," she went on. "With pink spots."

* * *

The cake was not, as Scorpius had feared, made by Al. It turned out that Al had actually gone to Hogsmeade several days before and bought a cake from Brackleford's Bakery. A big cake. A big _chocolate_ cake. It had two tiers and hundreds of white and dark chocolate shavings stuck to the sides. And the _cream_… the cream was so good Scorpius was sure it had to be illegal in some way. The three of them made their way through a tier and a half, before finally conceding defeat and pushing the cake away.

Albus belched.

"Don't you love it when you burp and it tastes of the last thing you ate?" he asked, and both Scorpius and Lily pulled a face.

"Mum would give you a right telling off for that," Lily said, sneering at him slightly. Scorpius was glad he wasn't the only one to find it distasteful. He'd have told Al off, too.

Al shrugged and leaned forward, propping himself up on the table with his elbows. "So…" he said. "We've had the cake. What do you want to do now?"

"Digest it," Scorpius sighed, horrified to find himself now holding back his own belch. He did it quietly into his hand, hoping nobody had noticed. He was lucky.

Albus groaned and rolled his eyes. "Come on, Scorp. It's your Birthday. Surely there's something you want to do? We could go put spiders in James' bed?"

"He'd know it was you," Lily replied, sticking her finger into a dollop of cream that had fallen on the table.

Albus gave her an irritated frown, but carried on regardless. "How about we go get some alcohol from Finnegan?"

"I'd actually prefer to just sit and talk," Scorpius said, once again feeling as if Al was trying too hard. If things were going to go back to normal then he needed to let Albus know that he didn't need to make such an effort. He gave him a small smile and shrugged. "Maybe we can just hang out? We don't have to do anything special."

"But I thought we could…" Al began, then stopped suddenly. He looked at Scorpius for a while, then bit his lip. "Yeah…" he said, nodding and returning the smile. "Hanging out is good."

Scorpius could tell Al understood and his smile widened just slightly. "Thanks."

Lily cleared her throat and leaned forward, squinting at the clock on the wall. "So… I have to get going, now," she said, pushing herself up from the bench. "Happy birthday Scorp. Hope you have a really good day."

Scorp blinked. "Um… thank you."

"Lil…" Al called after her, but she just smiled and waved as she left the room. Stared at the empty wall for a moment, then took a deep breath.

"So…" he said, turning back to face Scorpius. "You done your Charms homework?"

Scorpius, for some reason, found Al's awkwardness slightly satisfying. He nodded. "Yes. Have you?"

Albus shrugged. "Not really. I was hoping…" he trailed off, and Scorpius was a little surprised. It was obvious what Al meant, but he'd never had any trouble asking for help before.

"Of course I will," he replied, trying to reassure Al with another smile. There was a silence for a while, and Scorpius sighed. "I'm still me, you know?"

Albus suddenly looked very embarrassed. "No, I know. I just… I'm sorry." He shook his head. "I'm really fucking this up, aren't I?"

"No, you're not."

"It's just you said you didn't want to talk about it, and I'm trying _really_ hard not to talk about it, but it's not easy, because I have all these questions and I just… I don't want to upset you again."

Scorpius looked down at the table, feeling that ever-so-familiar churning in his stomach. He didn't particularly want to talk about it, but he wanted to drive his friend insane even less, and it was obvious how hard this was for Al.

He stayed looking down at the table for several moments, then looked up. He had hoped to avoid this, but if this was going help Al deal with things, then it was better to get it out of the way. "What questions?"

Al blinked at him, looking confused. "Are you going to get angry if I ask?"

Scorpius shook his head. He couldn't – not again.

Al took a deep breath and swallowed awkwardly. Scorpius could see a red flush creeping over Al's freckled cheekbones.

"Okay," he said, finally. "How long?"

Scorpius thought about it for a while. "I guess for a couple of years." It was easier to trace his feelings back now that he'd identified them. Before Joanna had pointed it out he'd just always brushed his feelings off as something else – anger, petty jealousy over his share of Al's time – but it was obvious, now.

Albus nodded. "And… why? No… wait… you don't have to answer that."

But Scorpius answered anyway. "I don't know," he said truthfully. "Why does anybody develop feelings for anybody else?"

Al looked more uncomfortable than Scorpius felt himself. He watched as Al fiddled nervously with his fingers, but they both maintained eye contact. "So… are you…" he paused, looking unsure how to continue. "Are you… gay?" He whispered the last word, as if somebody might overhear.

Again, Scorpius answered truthfully. "I don't know. To be honest, I haven't really thought about it. I've never really been attracted to anyone, before."

The blush on Al's face deepened and Scorpius suddenly felt guilty. "Sorry," he said, realising he'd probably just made Albus even more uncomfortable with that remark. "If it helps at all, I know you're straight and it doesn't bother me. I'm not holding out for anything, if that's what you're thinking."

Al shook his head. "No, I wasn't thinking that. I mean… I know you… I know…" he sighed and looked down, as if completely lost. Scorpius just remained looking at him, washing there was something he could do or say to lighten the mood. Something that Al would usually be the one to do – like tell a joke, or come up with a witty anecdote. He looked around the room and all he could see was the cake, sitting, half-eaten at the end of the table. He nodded at it.

"The cake was really nice, by the way." He smiled warmly and Al looked up at him.

"It was the biggest one in the shop," he said, returning the smile, if a little faintly. "I thought you'd like it."

"It was perfect. And thanks for the hat. Nobody's ever made me anything before."

Albus looked shocked. "Honestly? We make stuff for each other all the time at home. I mean… we buy stuff, too, but making stuff is so much more personal."

"I agree," Scorpius nodded. "What sort of things do you make at home?"

Albus launched into a long and detailed story about Lily's Birthday three years ago, where the whole family had come together to make a giant paper lion to surprise her with.

Scorpius smiled.


	42. Chapter 42

Albus opened his eyes and lay staring at his bed curtains for several moments. It was dark and quiet in the dormitory, save for the familiar sound of Jeremiah Jones snoring on the opposite side of the room, so he assumed it was still night time. He lay still, as if he thought moving might disturb someone, and just frowned at the folds in the green fabric.

He'd just woken from a dream about Joanna. A dream that had all but thrown him from his sleep and left him with his heart thumping furiously against his ribcage. He took a deep breath and finally rolled over onto his back, staring into the pitch black darkness where his canopy usually was. He'd dreamt Joanna had broken up with him, and that everyone in the school had laughed. She'd told him she was sick of him not making enough time for her and always thinking of Scorpius first. He'd tried to explain that Scorpius was his friend, and that he didn't want to lose five of the best years of his life by not setting things right, but Joanna hadn't cared. And the more Albus tried to explain, the more the gathered crowd laughed and jeered at him until his dream self had pointed his wand at the nearest of them and blown him to smithereens.

That's when he'd woken up.

He reached up and wiped the hair from his forehead, letting out another deep breath. It had been a while since he'd had a really bad dream, and never one involving Joanna. It unsettled him. He knew he'd been spending a lot of time with Scorpius since they'd made up, and maybe his time with Joanna had been mostly made up of quick conversations in class when the teacher's weren't looking, and the odd half an hour or so when they'd bumped into each other in the corridors. It had been over two weeks since they'd spent any real quality time together, and clearly his subconscious was trying to tell him something.

What time was it?

He pushed the covers aside and sat up, peering out through the small crack in the curtains to make sure everyone was asleep. Scorp's curtains were closed, as were everyone else's, and Jeremiah was still snoring. Good, coast was clear. He crept as quietly as he could across the room and down the stairs, over to the tall, oak grandfather clock at the back of the Common Room. He stood up on tiptoes and squinted at the clock face, trying to make out the time in the darkness. It was hard to see which hand was which without the light, but it was either twenty five past two, or ten past five. Albus hoped it was the latter, but he wasn't going to risk waking his dorm mates up by getting his wand to make sure.

He sighed and just stood by the clock for a while, going over the dream in his head. Dream Joanna had been right, of course… he'd hardly made any time for her since the Halloween party, and that was nearly three weeks ago, now. He'd been too busy trying to make sure things were okay between him and Scorp that he'd almost pushed her out of the picture. God, that was awful of him. He was a terrible boyfriend.

He'd make sure to see her tomorrow. And he'd do something nice for her. It was Saturday tomorrow… or today, technically. He'd take her to Hogsmeade and buy her a really nice meal, and they'd do something romantic… like hold hands and watch the sunset, or… one of those other really clichéd things that girls liked to do. He'd figure something out.

With a determined nod, and ideas now running around his head, he turned and made his way back up to bed.

* * *

The Fat Lady was being her usual helpful self.

"I've told you a million times, Mr. Potter, no one from another House may enter unless invited. If this presumptuous behaviour persists, I shall ask the Headmaster to write home to your father. I'm sure he'd be disgusted at your clear lack of mann-_mmphf_."

James stood in the entrance, looking irritated. "I knew it would be you," he said, narrowing his eyes. "What do you want?"

"Lovely to see you, too, brother of mine." Al grinned. "But as lovely as it is, I've actually come to see Joanna."

"Well," said James, looking smug. "She's not here. She said something about studying with Sarah and Martin. You know... Martin Braddock. The Hufflepuff Seeker. Good-looking, popular… him and Jo seem to be getting on really well."

Albus scowled. "You can be a real dick sometimes," he said, before turning and making his way down to the library. He knew James was stirring, as he always did, but he couldn't help running a bit faster than normal down the stairs, and it was impossible to ignore the panicked thumping in his chest. His dream had really unsettled him, and as much as he was sure Joanna would understand why he'd been spending so much time with Scorpius, he knew he had a lot of time to make up for.

He finally got to the library and skidded to a rather embarrassing halt as all the nearest tables turned to look in his direction when he nearly slid right into a desk. He gave a sheepish smile and composed himself when the other students finally looked away. Who studied first thing on a Saturday morning, anyway? Well… apart from Scorpius. And now Joanna. It wasn't normal. He walked as calmly as he could along each row of books, trying to look as casual as possible, stopping every now and then to pretend he was looking at the titles on the shelves. After a few minutes, he spotted Joanna and the two others sitting at the back and was about to go charging over when he reminded himself that the best approach was always the smooth approach.

He fixed his most charming smile onto his face and sauntered over. "Hi," he said, beaming at them. They turned in his direction and Joanna gave a small smile.

"Hey," she said, tucking a long strand of wavy brown hair behind her ear. "How are you?"

Al shrugged. "Pretty good. I actually came to ask if you wanted to come to Hogsmeade with me today? The weather's nice."

Joanna looked at Sarah, then at Braddock, who then both took turns looking at Joanna, and each other. "Well, we sort of agreed to study together today," she said, awkwardly. "We have a five foot Divination essay in for Wednesday, and…"

"I'm sure these guys wont mind rescheduling for another day," Al replied, trying not to sound too desperate. "And if not, I can help?"

"You don't study Divination," Sarah pointed out, trying, and failing, to hide the smirk on her face. Albus frowned.

"Well… no."

Braddock shrugged and gave a small grin. "We can do this tomorrow, can't we? It's not like it's going anywhere."

Sarah looked as if she was about to say something, but Braddock just shook his head and she sighed and closed her mouth again.

"If that's alright with you guys?" Joanna asked them, and Albus smiled. Brilliant.

They both nodded, and Joanna packed up her bag and stood up. "See you tomorrow, then."

Albus took her hand as they walked out of the library and gave it a light, reassuring squeeze, although reassuring for whom, he wasn't sure. "Let me put my books away and we'll go," Joanna said, and Albus nodded.

"Of course. I'll walk you up to your Common Room."

She smiled and they made their way up to Gryffindor Tower in relative silence. It was only when they got to the top last flight of stairs that curiosity got the better of him.

"So," he said, nonchalantly. "Do you study with those two all the time, then? I mean… I knew you studied with Sarah, but when did Braddock join you?" He hoped that hadn't actually sounded as spectacularly unsubtle as he'd heard it in his own head.

"Not long. Since he and Sarah started dating."

Dating?

"Dating?"

Joanna nodded. "Yeah. About four weeks ago."

"Oh. "Al nodded, suddenly feeling a lot better about things. Then he frowned. "Is that common knowledge?"

"Yeah. She told everyone in Gryffindor when he asked her out. Why?"

"No reason." Al gave her his best smile. "I'll wait here while you put your books away."

She kissed him on the cheek before entering the Common Room and closing the portrait behind her.

James was _so_ dead.


	43. Chapter 43

It was more than a little awkward when both he and Joanna reached to pull out her chair at the same time. She gave him a puzzled look and he grinned, brushing it off in his usual charming way. He'd honed his charm over the years, and he was quite the expert, but that didn't stop him feeling embarrassed, all the same. He instead let Joanna push her own chair in and sat down on the opposite side of the table, gaving her a broad smile. "This is nice," he said, reaching for a menu. "It's been a while since we just did this, isn't it?"

Joanna nodded, smiling back as she reached for her own menu. Albus watched her hands as he turned the page before looking up into her face and studying it for several moments. She was very pretty, he thought idly, before snapping out of it when she raised her eyes to look at him questioningly over the top of her menu.

"What?" she asked, raising an eyebrow and grinning playfully.

"Sorry." Al chuckled, shaking his head. "I was somewhere else. Oh, I see they've got their cinnamon Butterbeer on the menu already," he said, quickly changing the subject. He looked down at the picture of the steaming mug of Butterbeer and lifted his menu slightly higher. He didn't know why he felt so awkward today. He put it down to being a bit rusty, due to spending so much time concentrating on Scorpius, and he felt another stab of guilt for having neglected Joanna for so long. He felt her foot move to rest against his and he smiled at her over the top of the menu.

"What are you going to get?" he asked, having already decided to get himself a big plate of fish and chips. She put her menu down and leaned forward and Al couldn't help but notice the way her folded arms pushed her boobs together slightly. He grinned, almost missing what she was saying.

"I feel like sausages and mash, today. With onion gravy. They haven't served that at school for months." She grinned, and Albus felt her foot move against his under the table. "You?"

"Uh…" he said, momentarily distracted by the game of footsie they seemed to have entered into. He felt his cheeks flush hotly and grinned. "Fish and chips, with mushy peas," he said, putting his menu down. "And what do you want to drink?"

Joanna smiled. "Cinnamon Butterbeer," she said, resting her chin in her hand and leaning languidly to one side.

"Right," Al nodded, pushing himself up and making his way to the bar. He caught a whiff of her hair as he walked past and grinned to himself, feeling rather smug that he was dating someone who smelled so good. He was willing to bet no one else in the school smelled that good. Or had hair as strokable. Olivia Wilmot certainly didn't, that was for sure. He'd touched her hair. They'd kissed once, before he started seeing Joanna. She smelled of fake roses or something similar, and she didn't kiss as well as Joanna did. It was a bit wet. Better than some girls, though. He'd kissed quite a lot of girls.

"What can I get you, mate?" the barman asked, interrupting his train of thought.

"Can I get a sausage and mash with onion gravy, fish and chips with mushy peas, and two cinnamon Butterbeers?"

A dark blue Quick Quotes Quill sprang to life from behind the counter and jotted down his order. The barman nodded, put down the glass he'd been cleaning and retrieved two bottles of Butterbeer from behind the counter. "Two cinnamon Butterbeers," he said, placing them on the bar. "And the food will be about ten minutes, alright? That'll be six Galleons, eleven Sickles, and twenty four Knuts, please."

Al counted out his money and handed it over before making his way back to the table with the two drinks in hand. He placed them both down and took a seat, watching Joanna's hands as she picked up her bottle. She had nice fingers, he mused; pretty. He took a sip from his own bottle and smiled at the small Christmas tree on the corner of the label - his first festive Butterbeer of the season. It made him smile.

"So, did you hear about Richard Pratton and Julia East?" Joanna asked, and Albus looked up, blinking. He shook his head.

"Uh… no," he replied, having only a vague idea of who these people actually were.

Joanna looked shocked. "I thought everyone had heard?"

Albus looked blank and gave a shook his head – in truth, he'd been spending too much time making sure things were alright between himself and Scorpius to really pay too much attention to the school gossip. Joanna put down her bottle and leaned closer.

"Well," she said, sounding excited. "You know they'd been dating for a year? Apparently, Richard slept with Simone Carter after the Halloween party and had been trying to keep Simone quiet by doing her assignments and all her homework since then."

Albus smirked. Simone was in Slytherin and he could totally see her taking advantage of that. And honestly, if someone offered to do all _his_ assignments, he wouldn't say no, either. Joanna went on.

"Anyway, Simone obviously mentioned something to someone, because it finally got back to Julia last week and she was _furious_. She hexed his hair so it all fell out, and his eye keeps twitching. Nobody actually knows why that is…"

Albus bit the inside of his lip, trying not to laugh at that last bit. Joanna obviously saw it and gave him what was probably meant to be a disapproving look. It wasn't very effective, though. She was clearly as amused as he was. "It's not funny, you know?" she said, the corners of her mouth turning upwards just slightly. "He might have a twitchy eye for the rest of his life."

Al snorted. He didn't know why, but the thought of Partton going through life with a constant twitch in his eye seemed to bring him great amusement. "It is actually quite funny," he said, unable to hold back his laughter. Joanna frowned before giving up on the whole stern thing and grinning as she took another sip of her drink.

"Well, it wouldn't be so funny if it were you," she said as she lowered the bottle. "I'll have to get her to teach me the hex she used, just in case I ever need it." She was grinning as she said, it, but Al suddenly stopped laughing. He was silent for a while, then put down his drink.

"Why would you need it?" he asked, frowning slightly in confusion. The tone changed very quickly, because Joanna's grin instantly vanished, and she shook her head, frowning.

"No… I was joking. I didn't actually mean… you know?" She sounded flustered, and her cheeks had turned pink.

"I wouldn't cheat on you, you know?" Al said, his voice hushed and low. "Why would you think you would need it?"

Joanna sighed. "Al, I was joking. It's okay. I wouldn't actually need it."

There was a short silence, broken by the waitress approaching and placing their dinner down on the table in front of them.

"Here you go, my dears," she said brightly. "One fish and chips, and one sausage and mash. Enjoy."

They both thanked her and Al suddenly felt very silly. He gave Joanna a sheepish grin when the waitress had left and reached out for her hand. "Sorry," he said, rubbing his thumb gently over hers. Her skin was so soft; he loved touching her. "I knew you were joking. Just ignore me."

She smiled back and Albus felt her give his hand a gentle squeeze. "I would if you weren't so damn attractive." She grinned, and Al laughed.

They talked about work and classes as they ate, and Joanna filled Albus in on all the latest gossip. Apparently the Gryffindor Quidditch team had been just as lazy about practice as Slytherin, so Albus didn't feel quite so bad after hearing that. Stephen Puttock, the Gryffindor captain, had received some bad news from home, so the team had taken this as an excuse not to do anything – out of respect, of course - for two and a half months. It reminded Albus that he and the team really should be getting a move on. He hadn't been back out since he'd broken his knee.

They finished dinner and Albus picked up the menu again, eyeing the sticky toffee pudding in the dessert section.

"So…" Joanna said, looking up from her own menu. "You made up with Scorpius, then?"

Albus froze momentarily, then nodded, feeling slightly awkward discussing it with Joanna. "Mmhmm," he said, keeping his eyes on the sticky toffee pudding. He could see her nod over the top of her menu, but he didn't look up.

"That's good," she said, and Albus could hear the awkwardness in her voice, too. "How… how is he? I mean… are things… okay?"

"Yep," Al replied, nodding again.

"Have you been spending lots of time with him, then?"

Albus finally looked up and lowered his menu. He didn't particularly want to discuss it with her, but it was better than dancing uncomfortably around it, he supposed. "Yeah, I have," he said. "He doesn't want it to be an issue, and neither do I. I mean… I guess it kind of is, but I want this to work, and I don't want to lose him, so I'm willing to do whatever to make it alright, you know? He means a lot to me."

Joanna stared at him for several seconds, then nodded, smiling and looking back down at her menu, studying it as if suddenly fascinated. "The sticky toffee pudding looks nice, doesn't it?" she said. "I think I'll have that."


	44. Chapter 44

She was jealous. It was the only explanation. She tensed every time he mentioned Scorp's name, she averted her eyes whenever he talked about spending time with him. He had no idea what Joanna was afraid of; like she thought he was about to pack up and run away somewhere. When he thought about it, he could understand her jealousy on an emotional level – he had been spending vast amounts of his time with Scorpius recently – but it made no _logical_ sense. What would she have to be jealous _of_? Scorpius had said he wasn't expecting anything, and he wasn't trying to pursue anything. They were friends. They had always been friends, and they would always be friends. Nothing would ever change that.

The date had finished on a rather quiet note. The conversation had revolved around Quidditch and Joanna's Gryffindor gossip, the mention of Scorpius having been enough to convince Al that Joanna had an issue with him. She wouldn't let on, of course… she was much too nice for that… but it was there, and now there was an extra complication in his life.

They'd returned to Hogwarts, both making small talk on the carriage back, and Joanna had kissed him longer and harder than she had in a long while. Albus had held her close and stroked her hair and told her he loved her, then watched her as she'd made her way up the stairs to Gryffindor Tower.

He now sat in the Slytherin Common Room, flicking idly through a book he wasn't actually reading, unable to separate one thought from another long enough for it to make any sense. He gave up after a while and just leafed through the book, stopping to look at the pictures as he went. He was tired. He'd pushed aside his dream while he'd been out with Joanna, but now it was in there again, jumbled up in the whirl of thought swimming messily around in his head. She wouldn't break up with him, he knew that. She loved him, and he loved her, and he didn't believe in prophetic dreams, anyway. So why had the dream bothered him so much? He'd had nightmares before, but they'd dissolved into nothingness as soon as he'd woken from them. What was it about this dream that had left such an impact?

He stared down at a page, frowning as he realised he'd been starting at the same picture for ten minutes and still had only just realised it was a picture of a severed cat's head. He closed the book and put it back on the table, looking around the room for any more distractions. The Common Room was relatively quiet today; there were a small group of Fifth year boys studying in the far corner – Scorpius' corner – and two girls sitting by the fire, talking about… something girly, probably. Albus had no idea what girls actually talked about. Hair?

Scorpius was in bed, having retired earlier in the evening. He wondered if this dream was something he could actually discuss with him, anyway. How appropriate would it be for him to discuss his relationship with someone who, not only hated his girlfriend, but was also in love with him? Probably not very appropriate at all. No, best not to mention it to Scorp, he thought. And besides… it wasn't like it was a huge issue, anyway. Was it? All he had to do was make sure he made time for Joanna and reassured her that her jealousy was unfounded.

Perhaps it would help to actually ask her how she felt. That way he could deal with the problems directly, instead of guessing. He didn't want to guess wrong, after all, and make things worse somehow. The question was… how did you approach someone with that sort of question? He could hardly just go up to her and ask _'hey, are you jealous of mine and Scorpius' friendship_?'. Mainly because the answer would probably be yes… and then what would he do? And was she just jealous of the amount of _time_ Al was making for Scorp? Maybe she felt she'd been put on the back-burner? Or was it more than that? Did she think he might have developed feelings for Scorpius himself?

He frowned into the fire, unaware of the funny looks the two girls were giving him until they got up and moved. He shook his head and sighed. This shouldn't be bothering him so much. It was bothering him that it bothered him. He'd never been this bothered about something so small before. He should probably go to bed, he thought. It was getting late and tomorrow would be a good time for a bit of Quidditch practice. They seriously needed to get a move on if they were to have any chance of winning the trophy this year. Damn Hofton meeting the damn Southampton Swallows. Like he needed that kind of pressure.

He pushed himself up from the table and made his way up to the dormitory. The familiar sound of Jeremiah snoring was he only sound to be heard as he crept quietly over to his bed, changed, and climbed in under the sheets. He closed the curtains, giving Scorpius' bed one last glance before settling down and staring blankly up at the dark canopy.

It was weird, he thought, how it seemed everyone but him had known about Scorpius before he had. He simply hadn't spotted any unusual behaviour, but clearly Joanna had. And Lily. Maybe it was a girl thing? Or maybe he'd been too close to it… maybe it had needed an outsider's perspective? He frowned as he remembered the conversation he'd had with Lily a few weeks before – she'd called him oblivious. He remembered that because it had really annoyed him at the time. But she was probably right. Scorp said he'd had these feelings for a couple of _years_, now… why had he not noticed?

He'd never really given much thought to the possibility of anyone he knew being gay. He'd never actually met a gay person before. And he still wasn't sure if Scorp actually _was_ gay. The answer Scorp had given had hardly been clear. Bisexuality, however, was also something he'd never really thought about. He suddenly felt the need to go and read lots of books… something he had clearly picked up from Scorp, as he'd never had that urge before. He felt a sudden desire to read up about sexuality, and learn about this kind of thing. He felt he should know about this if he was going to be a good friend and support Scorp through this.

And then Joanna's face swam back to the forefront of his jumbled though process, and he wondered if she would approve. Reading all these books would detract from the time he could spend with her even more, and he didn't want to risk having his dream become a reality.

And there was the dream again. Damn it!

The events of the dream unfolded once again, and Al watched as if they were happening before his very eyes. Joanna was crying… she was shouting and her face was bright red with anger and exhaustion. She was standing in front of a large crowd of people, some were friends, some weren't… they were all watching, stone-faced, until he tried to speak.

"_But you don't understand_," he pleaded, his own face just as red as Joanna's. "_I can't lose him. He's too important._"

The crowd laughed and jeered and Albus felt his hands clench into fists as he continued to remember the dream.

"_The past five years have been some of the best of my life. I can't throw that away – I can't_."

That's when Joanna had delivered the fatal blow. If he couldn't make time for her then it was all over.

Someone from the crowd roared with laughter and Albus lifted his wand, aimed it between the offender's eyes and blasted him into little, tiny pieces.

Albus frowned, still staring off into the darkness. Why hadn't he apologised? Joanna had accused him of not spending enough time with her, and instead of apologising and offering to make things right, he'd defended his and Scorp's friendship. It made no sense. Unless the dream hadn't actually been about her.

He rolled onto his side and stared at the curtains, as if trying to see through them to Scorp's bed across the way. He stared hard into the dark green fabric and something minute clicked into place inside his brain. The dream hadn't been about Joanna…

It had been about Scorpius.


	45. Chapter 45

Scorpius looked at the tickets in his hand and sighed. The Bedford Badgers vs. The Southampton Swallows, fourth row, Wednesday, December twenty second. Surely his father knew how little Quidditch actually interested him. Was he expecting him to take a friend? Or perhaps just use them in some sort of decorative collage. Where had his father got the tickets from, anyway? The letter he'd received along with the tickets hadn't said much beyond the usual – the only mention of the tickets had been the line "_I acquired two tickets for the Badgers verses Swallows Christmas game. I have no need of them, so am passing them on to you_."

No further explanation had been given, and Scorpius was left sitting at the breakfast table, blinking down confusedly at the white and gold tickets he was currently clutching.

"What's that?" Al asked around a mouthful of food, before shovelling in another helping of bacon. Scorpius really would have to teach him basic table manners one day. He quickly put the tickets back into the envelope and closed it, shaking his head.

"Nothing," he said, unsure why he felt the need to keep the tickets secret. "Just a letter from home. No mail for you, today?" He turned, noting the lack of paper or owl feathers in front of Al. Albus simply shrugged.

"Guess not." He swallowed and wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. Scorpius opened his mouth to suggest he use a napkin, but thought better of it and closed it again, settling instead for a long-suffering sigh.

"I wrote to mum yesterday, though" Al went on. "Told her about breaking my knee, so I'm expecting a panicked letter from her any day, now." He grinned and stretched. Scorpius couldn't help but notice the way Al's shirt rode up as he leaned back, exposing just the smallest sliver of stomach. He blinked and looked away again quickly, twisting a piece of bacon fat around the end of his fork.

"You did tell her you were alright, didn't you?"

Albus shrugged again. "Well… I'm obviously not dead, am I?" He smirked and Scorpius narrowed his eyes. He'd half expected that.

"She won't send you chocolate frogs forever, you know."

"But she will for a while. Besides, the Badgers and Swallows game is coming up next month. I asked for tickets but mum and dad both said no. I'm hoping, if she feels sorry enough for me, she might change her mind." There was a sly grin on Al's face as he spoke and Scorpius glanced back down at the envelope. He could just give them to Al… but then… there were _two_ tickets. It might seem conditional.

"And if she doesn't, I'm sure I can conveniently injure myself again before we break up for Christmas."

He shoved another huge forkful of egg into his mouth and Scorpius stared at him, contemplatively. He could give them to Al as a Christmas present, he supposed. Just wrap them up, hand them over and hope he didn't open them until he got home. He could take whoever he wanted, then, and wouldn't need to feel as if there was some sort of expectation on Scorpius' end. He'd get him something else, as well… it wouldn't do to just pass on second-hand tickets. Perhaps he could make him something. He nodded to himself, having made up his mind, and finished up his breakfast before, saying goodbye to Al and making his way down to the Dungeons to hide the tickets away in his trunk.

He pushed aside several books and a wooden box in which he kept small, sentimental items, and shoved the tickets under a neatly folded pile of underwear; they'd be safe there. Putting everything back in its place, he closed the trunk and sat on it, starting blankly at the bottom of the wall. The look on Al's face when he saw the tickets would be amazing. He almost wished he could be there to see him open them, but he knew how awkward that would probably make things. He wondered who Albus would take, only to frown when he realised that Joanna would be the first obvious choice. He was actually quite surprised at how disappointed he was at that realisation, and wondered why he'd assumed Al would think to ask him, anyway. He didn't even _like_ Quidditch; he wouldn't enjoy it, even if he did go. So it was a _good_ thing he wasn't going to hand the tickets over before Christmas, then. Al might have felt obliged to ask him out of guilt, and that was the last thing he wanted.

The door opened and Jeremiah Jones walked in, blowing a lock of curly blond from his forehead. "Hey, Malfoy," he said, making his way over to his own bed and grabbing his robe from the end of it. "Do you know what's up with Al by any chance?"

Scorpius was slightly taken aback that Jeremiah had actually addressed him. It was so rare that that happened. He blinked, then frowned, shaking his head. "No," he said, confused. "Why? What's wrong?"

Jeremiah shrugged. "Dunno. Just seems a bit weird. You know… kind of mopey and quietly wistful… in a pained artist sort of a way. Keeps saying he's fine, though."

Scorpius hadn't noticed anything different about Al's behaviour. He doubted he'd have missed something like that. "I haven't noticed," he said, feeling a little knocked off guard. Was there something Al was keeping from him, then? Is that why he hadn't noticed? "When has he been doing this?"

"Just randomly throughout the day," Jeremiah replied. "Generally at meal times or during class or something. Come to think of it, he's usually alone. I thought maybe you'd had an argument or something the first time. Maybe he had a falling out with that Gryffindor of his?" He pulled a face. "Dunno why he's dating her, anyway, to be honest."

"Because he loves her!"

There was a venom in his voice that Scorpius hadn't expected. It shut him – and Jeremiah – up. Where had _that_ come from? He should have been agreeing with his dorm-mate and taking the chance to talk openly about his hatred for her with someone who would actually appreciate it. But he hadn't…

Jeremiah blinked at him for several seconds, then pulled on his robes. "Okay, well… see ya'." He made his way out of the room, leaving Scorpius to ponder at his outburst.

It hadn't been in defence of Joanna in any way. He hated her, and he _hated_ the fact that Albus loved her. He would have hexed her into a million, tiny hateful pieces if he could. It was Albus he'd been defending. God… and now he had to find out what his friend was keeping from him. Something inside him fell away and he wondered if Albus really did have a problem with him after all.

After everything they'd discussed and been through, the thought that Al might be keeping their friendship alive out of nothing more than pity or a sense of obligation made Scorpius feel slightly ill. He'd have to get to the bottom of it.

With a sigh, he grabbed his own robes from the end of the bed, put them on, and made his way to class.


	46. Chapter 46

It wasn't remotely pleasant, feeling as if his subconscious was keeping something from him. Like it knew something and was taking great joy in teasing him with it, but not letting him catch a proper glimpse. It was doing it on purpose, too, since he'd now decided that his subconscious did actually have a mind of its own, and somewhere in there a little pink man was laughing maniacally at his discomfort.

He hated being alone, too - the little man inside his head would use that alone time to torment him further – so he stuck to Scorp's side as often as he could, trying not to think about things too hard. It was alright when he didn't think about it, or question the reason _why_ he wanted to spend so much of his time with Scorp. So as long as he kept his mind on other things, like Quidditch, the upcoming Christmas Holidays, food, and so on, everything was hunky dory.

He couldn't ignore it while he was asleep, though. He was helpless to fend it off in his sleep, and the dream always somehow seemed to keep rearing its annoyingly smug head whenever he drifted off. If there was a way to stab at the inside of one's own head without causing irreparable brain damage Albus would have done it by now.

The worst part was, though, people were noticing. Jeremiah had asked if he was okay on two occasions. Craig and Mike had both commented on his sullen expression during their recent Quidditch strategy meeting, and now he was getting odd looks in the corridors from strangers. This wasn't something he could afford to have people getting wind of, so he'd really have to concentrate on appearing normal when there was every possibility he was going slightly insane.

He'd not mentioned the dream to anyone, and as much as he supposed that was for the best, keeping it to himself was driving him mad. He couldn't mention it to Joanna, he couldn't mention it to Scorpius… those were the _last_ two people he could mention it to. He couldn't talk to any of the guys on the team, or essentially anyone in his House. He didn't trust most of them as far as he could throw them. To be honest, as popular as he was among the general student body, he had very few people he could actually turn to in times like this. Scorpius had always been the one he went to with his problems. And Joanna, of course, but he'd known Scorpius longer. It felt weird knowing that he couldn't go to him with this.

He made his way along the corridor, having decided to mull things over in the library during a free period when Lily's face suddenly appeared in front of his own, making him jump back in shock and let out an embarrassingly high-pitched yelp.

"Sorry," she grinned, biting her lip apologetically. "Didn't mean to frighten you."

Albus bristled slightly. "Wasn't frightened," he said.

Lily nodded. "Okay, then. That was just a yelp of greeting, then?"

"Yes." Al narrowed his eyes. "What do you want?"

She shrugged. "Nothing, really. Just to say hello. And to ask why you're walking around the castle with a face like a smacked arse."

Al opened his mouth, ready to tell her to shove off, when he caught himself. He was silent for a moment, then sighed. "Fine," he said, defeated. "But we're not talking out here. Let's go somewhere quiet."

Lily smiled smugly, and Albus had to restrain himself from punching her in the arm as they turned and made their way to the library. They chose a table at the back, in a secluded corner and Al found himself suddenly feeling quite terrified at the prospect of sharing the contents of his maddening dream. What if it meant something bad? What if it was some sort of omen? Not that he really believed in those. Prophesies on the other hand…

"Alright," Lily nodded, as she pulled in her chair and leaned across the table. "Spill."

Albus took a deep breath, braced himself, and launched into the details of his dream. He didn't stop or pause as he recited how Dream Joanna had shouted at him and accused him of being a bad boyfriend, or how his Dream Self had defended his and Scorpius' friendship instead of his relationship with Joanna. He left Lily no time to interrupt as he explained about the laughing crowd, and how he'd blasted one of them into millions of tiny pieces. It wasn't actually until he'd finished that he realised he'd hardly breathed through the whole thing, and he inhaled deeply while his head span.

There was silence after he finished speaking, and Albus chewed on the inside of his lip nervous as he waited for Lily's reaction. She seemed to be contemplating what she'd heard, and Albus was about to ask what she was thinking when she spoke.

"Okay…" she said, crossing her arms in front of her. "From what I can gather about the dream, it had more to do with you and Scorpius than it did you and Joanna."

Albus nodded. "I know. I realised that the other night. But why? I have been ignoring Joanna recently and I should be spending more time with her."

"Well, as you said in the dream, Scorpius is important to you. You want to make sure you don't lose him."

"Yes, I know that, but I don't want to lose Joanna, either. I don't want to lose either of them."

Lily went quiet again and stared up at the ceiling, as if daydreaming. Albus frowned at her; he always hated it when she did that. He wasn't sure if it made her look really wise, or just completely crazy. He watched her for quite some time before his impatience got the better of him. "Oh, for Merlin's sake, Lil," he barked. "Say something!"

She looked at him again, expressionless. "Why don't you want to lose Joanna?" she asked, sounding almost half-asleep.

Albus blinked at her. What a strange question. "Because I love her?" he said, feeling slightly baffled at the absurdity of the query. Surely that much was obvious?

"Mmm," said Lily, nodding. She paused, then gave Al a wide smile. "I think we should play a game."

Al almost choked on his own saliva. What?! A game? What was she talking about?

"I'm not here to play games. I wanted advice on…"

"No, really," Lily interrupted. "It will help. It's a word association game. I say a word and you say the first thing that comes into your head. Okay?"

Al looked at her questioningly for a while. He wasn't entirely sure he liked this idea, but if it was going to help then he supposed it was worth a shot. If it didn't work, he could always hex Lily's hair blue or something. He rolled his eyes. "Fine. But this better be worth it."

"It will be." Lily beamed and shuffled in her seat, leaning forward again and interlocking her fingers in a very academic fashion. "Here we go. Favourite colour?"

"Green," Al replied straight away.

Lily grinned. "Favourite ice cream?"

"Mint."

"Favourite food?"

"Sausages."

"Would you rather be too hot or too cold?"

"Too cold."

"Would you rather live in a tree or an cave?"

"In a tree."

"Bear or lion?"

"Bear."

"Day or night?"

"Day."

"Wet or dry?"

"Dry."

"Scorpius or Joanna?"

"Scor…"

Al's eyes widened and he clapped a hand over his mouth, as if to force the word back in. Lily smiled.

"Thought so," she said, grinning.

Al shook his head and frowned. "No, that's cheating. You didn't tell me that's what you were going to do."

Lily chuckled. "Of course not. That was the point of the game. If I'd told you, you'd have thought about it. The whole point was _not_ to think."

Albus wanted to strangle her. The game hadn't been fair. "Well, anyway, it doesn't prove anything," he said, stubbornly. "I love Joanna."

"I know you do," Lily nodded, her smile fading slightly. "Which is why the dream has been bugging you so much."

"What do you mean?"

Lily bit her lip, and Albus felt his stomach churn violently.

"Al… I think you might be in love with Scorpius."


	47. Chapter 47

Albus blinked at Lily and stared at her for some time, as if she'd just sprouted an extra head.

"… What?" he asked, when he remembered he had a tongue in his head. He really wasn't sure how he was meant to respond to that. In fact, he wasn't entirely sure he'd actually heard it. There was a good chance his mind was playing tricks on him; maybe he'd eaten a dodgy piece of bacon?

Lily shrugged, raising her eyebrows slightly. "Well, it would explain quite a bit, don't you think?"

Al moved his mouth soundlessly, then frowned at his inability to form words. A mumbled "I… huh?" was the only response his brain seemed capable of. What was she talking about? Was he even awake, right now?

Lily sighed and rolled her eyes. "Think about it," she said, matter-of-factly, leaning forward and resting her elbows on the table. "You dream about Joanna breaking up with you, and the thing that concerns you the most is losing Scorpius. You talk about him all the time, you pine after him when he's not around. You act like a lost puppy whenever you have a falling out."

Al's brain finally clicked back into gear and he shook his head, frowning. "Well, he's my friend. Of course I talk about him and want to spend time with him. That's perfectly normal. All friends do that."

Lily just gave him a small smile and said nothing and Albus suddenly felt extremely flustered. It was like he'd been accused of being some sort of criminal. "You can't… you don't…" He grit his teeth and could feel his back tense. "I don't even know what you're talking about. You know me and Scorp have been friends for years. You've been friends with Joseph whats-his-name for years, too. Doesn't mean anything. Why would you think that just because we're good friends it means I must be in love with him? When have I ever said anythi-"

"Alright," Lily interrupted, holding a hand up. "Don't get your knickers in a twist."

Al glared and exhaled sharply through flared nostrils.

"I'm not going to force you out of your box," she said. "Whatever you do is up to you. Just thought I'd open the lid for you."

Albus still couldn't quite believe this conversation was happening. He pinched himself under the table just to make extra sure he wasn't having some sort of strange dream, and the pain that shot through his arm only helped to make him more frustrated at the situation. This whole thing was stupid. Why was Lily making such ludicrous accusations? What gave her the right to decide who felt what about whom, anyway?

He could feel the muscles in his back tremble from the tension and part of him wanted to throw something. He wasn't sure what. A chair? The table?

His sister?

He wasn't sure what to say. He knew he sounded defensive, and he hated that. He was only telling the truth, after all. Scorpius was his best friend. They'd been best friends for five years – they'd been through a lot together. And so what if he thought about him a lot of the time? In fact, so what if he thought about him _most_ of the time? That's just what friends did. And so what if he missed him and felt miserable when Scorp wasn't around? All friends felt like that – it was just a normal part of every friendship. There was nothing weird about that at all.

Was there?

He sat and glared at Lily for a while until the sight of her smiling face and expectant eyes annoyed him too much to sit and look at her anymore.

"I'm leaving," he announced abruptly, pushing his chair back and standing up. Lily sighed.

"Oh, come on Al," she said, earnestly. "Don't be silly. Sit and talk to me…"

Al scoffed. "Right. So you can keep telling him how weird I am?"

"What?" Lily frowned. "I never said you were weird. There's nothing weird about…"

"Forget it," Al slung his bag over his shoulder, shaking his head. "Don't want to hear it." He turned and made his way towards the library door, ignoring Lily as she called after him. This was not how he'd envisioned his day going and he was far from pleased with the completely surreal turn things had suddenly taken. He still couldn't quite believe the conversation he'd just had. The game hadn't been remotely fair, and what did one simple slip of the tongue actually prove, anyway?

But then, even if it hadn't been a slip of the tongue, it still proved nothing. There had been no context to the question; no scenario. Just two names. For all he knew, Lily could have been asking which of the two Albus would most like to study with. Or which of the two he'd most like to go to a Quidditch game with. Just because he'd said Scorp's name didn't mean he was in love with him.

He stormed down to the Dungeons and all but threw himself into the Common Room, stomping over to the couch and slumping down onto it. He could feel the scowl on his face and he shook his head, trying to relax the muscles in his forehead. There was no reason for him to get upset about this – it had just been a case of Lily looking too deeply into a situation and seeing things that weren't there. Nothing more. He'd probably find it funny tomorrow. The tension in his back was starting to ache, though, and he stretched, hearing his spine pop all the way down.

There was even a chance Lily was just trying to mess with his head. Merlin only knew the amount of times he'd played tricks on her in the past. It seemed in really poor taste to bring Scorpius into it, though, if that was indeed what it was. He hoped Lily hadn't spoken to Scorpius about this.

And if it wasn't a joke, then there was a danger of it getting back to Scorp somehow anyway, and how on earth would that make him feel? He'd probably think they'd both been in on it together and were doing it to hurt or embarrass him in some way. The pit of Al's stomach fell away just thinking about it. He couldn't bear for Scorpius to think that about him. He'd never do something like that.

His shoulders trembled and he stood up again, unsure what to do. He was suddenly filled with the inexplicable desire to seek out Joanna, drag her into an abandoned broom cupboard and rip all her clothes off. He wasn't entirely sure why. It just seemed like something he should be doing. But then, he _was _a red-blooded male, after all, and Joanna was his girlfriend. It was perfectly natural for him, as a normal, teenaged boy, to want to have sex with his beautiful, nice-smelling, ample-breasted, feminine girlfriend. Healthy, in fact.

Yes, he thought, staring at the carpet, his back still tense, he would go and do that. That should sort some of the tension out.

So, with a final, decisive nod, he turned and made his way purposefully from the Common Room.


	48. Chapter 48

Approaching Al about his apparent moodiness wasn't going to be easy, since Scorpius never saw it. Whenever he watched him from across the room, or cast a sideways glance at him from the next chair over, Al's demeanour was always as bright and chipper as it had ever been. Al made his usual jokes, belched his way through mealtimes – something that Scorpius was grudgingly starting to find endearing – and chattered his way through their evening study sessions. It was frustrating, but at the same time Scorpius couldn't help but feel safer. If everything seemed fine then he could just pretend it was so. As much as he didn't want their friendship to be a lie, the thought of finding out that it _was_ terrified him completely.

And, anyway… there was nothing saying that Al's funny moods were in any way connected with him and their friendship. Just because Jeremiah Jones had seen Al looking wistful didn't mean it was his fault. Perhaps he hadn't even been wistful at all. Maybe he'd been deep in thought about his school work, or Quidditch. Maybe he'd had a falling out with one of his siblings. There were any number of reasons for Al not to be particularly perky at any given time, and being paranoid about it wasn't going to do either of them any good.

After a rather tiring week of late night readings and revision, the weekend finally rolled back round. Scorpius liked the weekend – it gave him more free time in which to read. Most of the Slytherin students were changed into their casual weekend attire and clustered together in groups, chatting, reading, playing, or otherwise relaxing and having fun. Scorpius was sat in his usual corner, the sleeves of is black polo-neck pushed up past his elbows while took notes on page two hundred and two of '_Hector Hacklepot's Guide to Helpful Hexes'. _Professor Lystram had decided that next week's lesson would be their first quiz of the year and Scorpius was determined to get it right.

He sighed and pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose before letting his eyes scan the room briefly. He caught sight of Albus sitting in the large leather armchair, slumped to the point of almost sliding off the cushion, and staring blankly at the far wall. He looked almost mesmerised; it was only the slight crease of the brow that made it obvious he was actually thinking about something. Scorpius felt his stomach plummet again, despite telling himself, once again, that there was no point jumping to conclusions. He watched him for a while, noting the set to Al's jaw, the slight narrowing of his eyes. He looked lost in contemplation and Scorpius suddenly became aware that the quill in his hand was shaking. He frowned and put it down, getting annoyed at himself for letting this get to him.

He and Al had talked; he knew how important this friendship was to Albus, and letting his paranoia get to him was only going to hinder them both. It was he, Scorpius, who had said he wanted things to go back to normal, anyway. Things would hardly go back to normal if he questioned every little thing; every move Al made, and every word of gossip from the study body. No, whatever it was, it was nothing to do with him, and he'd do well to stay out of it.

He cleared his throat purposefully, as if having made a very important decision, and went back to his reading.

_'Distinguishing a Helpful Hex from a Harmful one can be difficult to the novice witch or wizard, but apart from four notable exceptions, there is a marked difference that can be seen and felt, not only in the result of the Hex itself, but also in the emotion one uses to perform it.'_

Scorpius knew this, and he also knew the four notable exceptions – this was not new information, and he hoped the quiz next week was going to prove at least something of a challenge. It had been a while since he felt his intellect and knowledge had really been pushed and tested, and he was getting slightly restless. He continued reading, turning the page and reading up on the four previously mentioned Hexes.

_'The Love Blindness Hex_,' Scorpius read. _'A Hex designed to confuse the mind of a smitten human being, preventing them from experiencing romantic feelings with the object of their affections. A Hex popular with scorned wives whose husbands have been found to have been cheating, this Hex is used most widely as a form of revenge. However, used wisely and in the right circumstances, this Hex has been known to save the lives of those seduced by dark creatures, such as Sirens and Succubi_."

Scorpius bit his lip as he read and looked up again. He would never ever dream of performing such a Hex on anyone, but even the fact that reading that passage had given him such a thrill disturbed him somewhat. He frowned at himself, leaning back in his chair and glaring angrily down at the book. He was not doing a very god job of getting things back to normal, was he? He'd been hyper sensitive to everything going on around him since the two of them had made up, and every thought that entered his head had to be analysed so thoroughly. It was getting ridiculous. His eyes locked on Al again as he looked out across the room and he sighed. Al hadn't move since he'd last looked at him. He really did look utterly miserable. Or lost. Or both.

Scorpius closed his eyes tight and pulled the glasses from his face, placing them on top of his book and pinching the bridge of his nose. Why couldn't he let things go? Why was he complicating things so much? What was it that was so hard for him to grasp? He knew friendship was all he could hope for, and he was fine with that. At least on a purely logical level. He'd told himself again and again that he was so lucky just to have Al as a friend… and not just any friend… a _best_ friend. The one friend Al would care about and cherish more than any other friend. And that was enough. That was one of the most incredible feelings in the world.

So why were things still so messy?

Why did it still have to hurt so much when he thought about Al kissing Joanna instead of him? Why did the thought of Al kissing him even enter his brain at all? There was no reason for it. No place for it. For a person who had demanded, rather unfairly, that the whole issue just be brushed under the rug, he was doing an appalling job of sticking to his word.

Al sighed in his chair and Scorpius' paranoia reared its ugly head again. It couldn't be a coincidence. Too much had happened for it to be unrelated. At that moment, all thought of family feuds, Quidditch or studying completely vanished from his mind and all he could think was that this was somehow his fault. Again. With a slight sickness building in his gut, he got up and made his way slowly over to the chair on which Al was sitting. He was standing directly beside him for several minutes, but Al didn't look up or even seem to register anyone was there until Scorpius stepped directly into Al's line of sight. Al blinked and shook his head, looking almost as if he'd just come out of a trance. He looked up at Scorpius and gave a beaming smile.

"Hey," he said, cheerfully, pushing himself back into the chair properly.

Scorpius wasn't entirely sure what to say. All trace of confusion, discomfort or distress had melted from Al's features the second he'd spoken, and Scorpius was once again at a loss as to what to think. Why was Al hiding this from him? Whatever it was. Why wouldn't he let him see?

Scorpius stumbled over his words and almost gave up completely before settling for a simple. "Are you okay?"

Al nodded, the smile still fixed on his face and as bright as ever. "Of course I am. Why'd you ask?"

Scorpius looked at him for a while, then shrugged, feeling defeat crash over him. There was nothing he could say or ask that wouldn't make a mess of things. And even if there was, the middle of the Common Room was not the place for it. "Nevermind," he replied, sighing and forcing a small smile to his lips. It wouldn't do to look upset. If Al could pretend everything was fine, then he could, too. "Fancy studying with me tomorrow?" he asked, changing the subject as quickly as possible.

Al gave a nod. "Sure." His expression remained unchanged, and Scorpius found it just slightly odd. Whatever Al was thinking or feeling, he was obviously masking it. Scorp could tell by the way Al's smile, as big and as brilliant as it was, didn't quite reach his eyes.

Scorpius nodded and walked back to his desk, hiding himself behind the bookcase and hunching over his book once again. Perhaps they would have more time to talk properly tomorrow.

Scorpius certainly hoped so.


	49. Chapter 49

Albus couldn't deny he felt slightly awkward. Not because of anything anyone was doing – in fact, Scorpius was acting the same way he'd always acted and that's what they'd agreed on – but he felt awkward all the same. It was a weird inner awkwardness, and for some reason he was suddenly very aware of everything he was doing. If he picked up his quill he did it in such a way as to appear completely normal. He calculated the speed at which he should reach for the quill, which hand he should pick it up with, and the expression he should have on his face as he did so. Just so he appeared as casual and relaxed as possible. Scorpius kept glancing up at him at odd intervals and Albus wasn't sure if it was because his attempts at looking casual were falling completely short of the mark or whether there was something else going on.

God, his talk with Lily had completely messed with his head. What on earth gave her the right to tell him what he did or did not feel about specific people? It was ridiculous. And of all people, telling him he was in love with _Scorpius_? It made no sense. Why would he be in love with Scorpius? Scorpius was his best friend. And a boy. Al liked girls. He'd always liked girls. He was pretty sure he'd have realised if he'd suddenly turned gay. And alright, fine, perhaps from Lily's perspective his and Scorp's friendship might seem a little odd. It was true they'd spent more time together than anyone else Al had ever known. And alright, it was true that Scorpius was very important to him. One of the most important people in the world. In fact, aside from his family, Al would happily admit that Scorpius probably _was_ the most important person in the world to him.

And Joanna, of course. Al frowned at himself for the lapse. Scorpius and Joanna. Or… Joanna and Scorpius? No… that sounded weird. Scorpius and Joanna had a better ring to it. It seemed to fit better. The stupid word association game Lily had tricked him with flashed across his brain and he remembered saying Scorp's name. That was probably the reason. It just seemed natural to say their names in that order. Scorpius and Joanna. It was just how he'd always thought of it. And he'd known Scorpius longer, of course, so he should get first dibs on name placement. It was only fair. It didn't mean he was in love with him.

He blinked down at his book; he'd completely forgotten what he was meant to be studying. He'd spent the best part of two hours trapped inside his own head, absently turning pages without reading what was on them. He was surprised Scorpius hadn't pulled him up on it yet, actually. He was usually very quick to do that when it was clear Al's attention was somewhere else. Al sniffed and scratched his nose before reading the first paragraph on the page. It was about Potions. Right, then… Potions it was.

He dipped his quill into the inkwell and took down notes, still not entirely sure what he was meant to be doing, but at least he looked studious. He wouldn't have bothered pretending to study if Scorp hadn't been here, but for some reason, despite the tedium of studying, he didn't really feel like being anywhere else. Scorp's company was generally enough to get him through the most boring of subjects, and right now he was just enjoying his friend's presence.

He scribbled down a passage about the three uses of Graphorn horns in Potion-making and sighed. He placed his quill down beside his book and looked at Scorpius. Scorpius appeared to be too deep into his work to notice so Al just stared at him for a while. The flickering light from the nearby candle reflected off the lenses of Scorpius' glasses and made him look like he had two big balls of fire for eyes. Al chuckled inwardly and moved his gaze down to Scorp's nose. It was a thin nose; Al didn't think he'd ever really paid much attention to it, before. And why would he? It was just a nose. It was sort of weird, though, now that he thought about it – kind of pointy and narrow. He reached up and touched his own nose, running his thumb and forefinger over the sides of it. His was wider and rounder at the tip than Scorp's. He almost wanted to reach out and touch Scorp's nose, just to see how different they both felt.

"What on earth are you doing?" Scorp said, grinning slightly. Al quickly lowered his hand from his nose and felt his cheeks heat up.

"Oh… I didn't realise you were watching," he said, feeling slightly embarrassed. Of course he hadn't realised – he couldn't actually see Scorp's eyes past the reflection of the candle in his glasses. He grinned sheepishly and shrugged. "I was just looking at your nose," he explained. The raised eyebrow he was met with made him feel slightly flustered. "Um… I mean… it's long. No! Shit… not _long_, but… longer than mine."

He stopped talking when Scorpius grinned at him and felt his cheeks burn even hotter. He knew how stupid he'd just sounded and there was no way to safe face now. He simply pouted slightly, then smiled as Scorp's grin turned into a quiet laugh.

"What?" he asked, trying to sound affronted, but he was unable to hide the amusement from his own voice. He loved it when Scorpius laughed.

"Of course you would be thinking about noses," Scorpius said, still chuckling. "It makes no sense and it has nothing to do with anything we've been studying for the past two hours."

Albus raised an eyebrow, still grinning. "What are you trying to say?"

"Nothing," Scorp replied, taking his glasses off and shaking his head. "Just that you're full of surprises. No one else I know is quite as eclectic as you." He paused and just smiled. "It's special."

Albus suddenly felt like running away. What did he say to that? He'd never been called special before. Not in any kind of serious way. James had called him special, but that had been in a completely different context and said whilst pulling a funny face. But this was genuine. Scorpius actually thought he was special. He felt his cheeks flush again.

"Thanks," he said, slightly awkwardly, then smiled. "You're pretty awesome yourself." He knew that last bit sounded cheesy, but it was the first reply that came to him. Scorpius smiled, anyway, so at least he hadn't sounded completely stupid.

They just sat and looked at each other for a while, until Scorpius picked his glasses up again and slid them back up his nose. Albus stayed staring at Scorp's bowed head for several moments before realising he could move again. He looked down at his book and spent a good three minutes trying to read and re-read the first line. His mind was suddenly somewhere else again. He felt completely disconnected from his surroundings, like he was dreaming or having some sort of hallucination. The words on his page all seemed to swirl together and the fire reflecting in Scorpius' lenses seemed to be spinning rather than flickering. He blinked, and almost instantly the feeling was gone. He was left feeling weird and uncomfortable again – and filled with that very familiar inexplicable urge to seek out Joanna. It was too late, though. It was nearly eleven o'clock, and they were all technically meant to be in bed at this time. Most of the other students had headed up to their dormitories earlier, and only themselves and several other seventh years remained in the Common Room, studying.

He looked at Scorpius again, but averted his gaze quickly, remembering that he couldn't make out Scorp's eyes through his glasses. He didn't know what it was he'd just experienced, but it was weird and had left him feeling vaguely ache-y. Lily's face popped into his head randomly and he pushed her away. Whatever it was, it had nothing to do with her annoying little game or anything she'd said. It was probably perfectly explainable. He just… didn't have the explanation yet.

Perhaps some sleep would remedy that?

He yawned and closed his book, leaning back in his chair to stretch. Scorpius looked up.

"Are you finished, then?" he asked, and Al nodded.

"Yeah, I think so. I'm knackered. Also, Quidditch practice tomorrow. Need to be up bright and early." It was actually true – they did have Quidditch practice in the morning – but it still sounded like an excuse.

Scorpius nodded. "Alright. I'll probably be up for a while, but I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight."

Al stood up and picked up his book. "See you tomorrow," he said, smiling and making his way up to his dormitory. He changed into his pyjamas, shoved his book into his bag and climbed into bed. He pulled all the curtains except those facing Scorp's bed and rolled onto his side, looking at Scorp's turned-down blankets.

He'd figure things out tomorrow. Whatever it was, he was sure it was nothing life-changing.


	50. Chapter 50

It was raining. It was cold. The wind felt like millions of tiny ice daggers as it blew across Scorpius' skin. Why they'd decided to go to Hogsmeade today he wasn't quite sure.

Thankfully the rain had eased up slightly during the carriage ride and it was only spitting lightly on them as they made their way through the village, towards the Three Broomsticks. Albus had been chatty on the ride over, almost too chatty Scorpius thought, but now, as they trudged along the sopping cobbles and muddy pathways, Scorp couldn't help but notice Al's unnerving lack of cheer and down-turned gaze. It was like the wind had blown all trace of humour from Al's face and left a sort of thoughtful glumness in its place. Whatever it was that was troubling Al, it seemed to be getting worse. This was the first time Al had let his guard down in Scorp's presence; he didn't even seem aware of the fact that Scorpius was looking directly at him. It was unsettling.

Scorp still hadn't plucked up the courage to broach the subject of Al's moroseness; every time he tried to find the words his brain had turned to jelly and conversation had become stilted and awkward. Thankfully, Albus always had some way of steering the conversation back to slightly less uncomfortable ground, but it was only a temporary reprieve for Scorpius. He wanted to find out what was wrong, and the longer he left it, the harder it seemed to get to bring the subject up at all. Putting on a brave face was getting more and more difficult, for him and now obviously for Albus, too. It was like they were both performing some great, elaborate dance around something that was staring them both in the face. He couldn't help but feel that Albus could sense his unease, and perhaps that was making him even more uncomfortable.

It was stupid, he kept telling himself that. This lack of communication was going to destroy their friendship if they didn't do something about it soon. But… what could he do?

They continued on in this way, Albus staring blankly down at the road, and Scorpius staring into Al's expressionless face, until they reached The Three Broomsticks. Al pushed open the door and they found their regular booth near the back of the pub, out of sight from most of the other patrons. It was surprisingly busy today, for an afternoon in late November; usually most people chose to stay indoors on days like this one. Their booth was relatively secluded, though, which was both reassuring and slightly unnerving for Scorpius in these circumstances.

The smile was back on Al's face, Scorpius noticed as he looked up, like it had never left.

"Butterbeer, I assume?" he asked. Scorpius nodded, unsure what else to say. What else was there to say to that, anyway? It was a simple enough question… it didn't easily lead into a conversation about feelings and hidden emotions, did it?

Al made his way to the bar and Scorpius sighed. This was getting ridiculous; how long could they actually go on trying to ignore this before one of them went mental? Well… before he did, at any rate? Maybe Albus didn't want to share. Perhaps he'd finally pluck up the courage only to be told there was nothing wrong. He wasn't sure if that would make him feel better or worse about the situation, actually.

God… why couldn't he just talk to him? He'd never had a problem talking to Albus before. They'd been best friends for five years. Out of all the people he knew in the world, Albus had always been the one he'd been able to talk to about anything. Why had holding a conversation with him suddenly become so difficult? He was completely destroying their friendship by being such a coward.

But then… wasn't Albus also being a coward? It's not like _he'd_ volunteered any information. This dance was getting tiring and stupid.

He watched as Al made his way back from the bar and took his seat, passing Scorp's Butterbeer to him across the table.

"Whose idea do you think it was to put cinnamon in Butterbeer?" he asked. "Because whoever they are, they're a genius." He took a big gulp from his bottle and grinned, looking at the small, waving Father Christmas on the label.

Scorpius hoped it was a rhetorical question since he didn't have an answer for it. He watched Al for a while, then took a sip of his own drink. The addition of cinnamon didn't strike him as particularly genius, really.

"Do you think they experimented with lots of different spices first before they decided on cinnamon?" Al went on, still examining his bottle; it had begun to snow on the label now.

Scorpius shrugged. "I don't know," he said. "Cinnamon is a spice commonly associated with Christmas. I'm sure it was probably at the top of their list." He wasn't sure why Albus suddenly seemed so fascinated with the flavour of a drink he'd been drinking every Christmas time since he'd known him but he had a feeling it was probably just another way to ignore the giant white Hippogriff in the room. Scorpius remained staring at him, noting the way Al's eyes seemed glued to his bottle.

"I guess so, "Al nodded, turning the bottle round and reading the writing on the label. "Clove is a pretty festive spice too, isn't it? And nutmeg?"

"Yeah." Scorpius wondered how long this conversation would last before Albus ran out of spices.

There was a silence for a while and Albus finally put down his bottle, looking up at Scorp and beaming. "I think I like cinnamon best, though."

"Al…"

"Yes?"

They both looked at each other for several moments and Scorpius could see Al's smile falter slightly. Scorpius licked his lips, preparing himself for whatever it was he was going to say; he wasn't entirely sure yet. He narrowed his eyes slightly, trying to form some sort of coherent sentence in his head and Al's smile faded completely.

"Is it something I've done?" he whispered, finally. He wasn't sure Albus would understand, he'd not really given him any context, but the look of pain that flashed across Al's face made it clear that he did.

Al opened and closed his mouth several times, looking more lost than Scorpius could ever remember seeing him. Scorpius felt his stomach fall away and he felt the world spin around him slightly. He clutched at the leg of the table tightly, bracing himself for Al's response.

"No…" Al replied, exhaling the word rather than speaking it. He shook his head and looked down at the table. "I'm sorry, Scorp… it's nothing you've done or said."

Scorpius leaned forward, the table leg still clutched tightly in his hand. His body was trembling and the muscles in his back were rippling painfully. "Then what is it?" his voice shook as he spoke and he hated himself for it, but he couldn't stop it.

Albus sighed and looked up and Scorpius couldn't tell in that moment who was hurting more.

"It's Lily," Al said after a while. "Something she said… it... I don't know." He frowned. "It made me think."

"And why can't you tell me?" Scorpius asked. "What did she say?"

"She…"

"Was it about me?" Scorpius interrupted, surprised at the aggression in his voice.

Albus looked at him for a while, almost pleadingly, then lowered his gaze. "Yes," he said, almost inaudibly. Scorpius felt his face heat up and the pulse in his ears sounded like a drum. What had Lily said? What could she have possibly said to have caused Albus this level of misery?

Neither of them spoke for a while, Scorpius concentrating on Al's down-turned face, trying to pluck up the courage to ask the question he knew he should. He opened his mouth, but Albus spoke first.

"It wasn't anything bad," he said, not looking up. "In fact, it was less about you than it was about me."

Scorpius closed his mouth again, the words having dried up on his tongue.

"And anyway," Al went on. "It doesn't matter. It's not true."

"What's not true?"

Albus took a deep breath and looked up. "She said I was in love with you," he shrugged, sounding tired all of a sudden.

Scorpius stared at Albus for a while, blinked, and sat back in his chair, again. "…oh," he said, his mind having suddenly gone a complete blank.

"Yeah," Al nodded. "So it was sort of weird, that's all. But it's nothing you've done."

Scorp nodded slowly, only half listening, his brain only functioning at half-capacity now. "But it's not true," he said, and it was a statement, as if he'd just announced that water was wet.

"No."

Scorpius nodded again, and brushed the fleeting sense of hope he'd felt swiftly under the rug. He knew it wasn't true – he knew Albus was straight and in love with Joanna. He was alright with that. Well… he wasn't, but that wasn't the point. Lily was wrong, and it hadn't been fair of her to dump that kind of thing on Al's shoulders.

"Are you okay?" Al asked, and Scorpius suddenly realised he was staring down at the table. He looked up and blinked, smiling faintly.

"Yeah," he nodded. "I'm fine."

"And we're good?"

"We're good."

Al smiled at him and Scorpius wanted to lean over the table and kiss him. For no reason. Instead, he simply smiled back and picked up his menu. Perhaps some apple crumble would take his mind off things?


	51. Chapter 51

"So, Alex caught it without even looking up and shot it straight into the goal. It was one of the most amazing things ever!"

Al's excited explanation of the previous week's Quidditch practice was a distraction, and one that Scorpius quite welcomed. Lunch had been slightly awkward after Al's revelation and it had taken all of Scorp's willpower not to just drown himself in his soup when it had arrived. Not that it had come as any sort of huge shock – Scorpius knew how Al felt and he'd made his peace with that – but being smacked in the face with it wasn't the most pleasant of feelings.

The dinner had been quiet but bearable, simply by virtue of the fact that they'd been eating. Al was never a big talker during mealtimes – he enjoyed his food too much to waste it by talking. Bringing up Quidditch after they'd finished had broken the silence and eased the tension slightly, and Scorpius was glad to be walking back to the carriage, listening to Al's anecdotes about tackling and something called the Porskoff Ploy. Scorpius wasn't entirely sure what that was, but he didn't have the heart to interrupt.

"Mike's been practicing his Double Eight Loop, in case of penalties," Al went on, drawing a figure of eight in the air with his finger. "We never really took penalties into account before. I think I've only ever seen two games where it actually came to that, to be honest, but it's better to be prepared, you know?"

Scorpius nodded, enjoying Al's energy, even if he didn't fully understand what he was talking about.

"Ian and Jerry are both coming along really well, too. Cat-like reflexes." Al grinned. "That's important for everyone, really, but especially Beaters. Well… and the Seeker, of course."

"Of course," Scorpius agreed, understanding at least that much. It was nice listening to Al being enthusiastic, even when he didn't quite follow, but it made him feel slightly less stupid when he could identify with what Al was saying. It made him feel more connected.

"It'll be December in a few days," Al said after a while. "Then there's just over two months 'till our first game. Against Hufflepuff, I think. It shouldn't be too hard. Fairhall and Dobson are dreadful. I really don't know why they're still on the team. Dobson can't see five inches in front of her face with those glasses."

Scorpius frowned. "Is she wearing the wrong prescription?" he asked, concerned. "She really shouldn't be playing if she can't see properly."

Albus nodded. "I know. It makes it _way_ too easy for us."

"I meant she could hurt herself, Al."

Al shrugged. "Well… yeah… that, too. Either way, Hufflepuff shouldn't be a problem." He grinned, looking very pleased with himself, and Scorpius shook his head. He sometimes wondered if Al's parents, being Gryffindors, ever worried about the sheer amount of Slytherin Albus tended to display when being competitive. You could almost hear him hiss, sometimes.

They walked along the muddy path, Al still talking Scorp through the team's new moves and strategies while Scorp kept his eyes on the road to avoid all the mud-filled potholes on the way to the carriage stop. Sometimes when Al talked about Quidditch it was like he'd been storing it up for years, waiting for the right time to let it all out. If Al's Quidditch enthusiasm were water, Scorpius figured he'd have drowned by now. He grinned at the analogy.

"The team I'm worried about most is Ravenclaw," Al said, narrowing his eyes slightly. Scorpius turned to look at him.

"Oh?"

"Yeah," Al nodded. "Hofton met the Southampton Swallows over the summer. They're already a good team; we don't need them getting hints from the pros."

Scorpius could see the deep crease in Al's brow and he grinned, looking back down at the floor to try and hide it. It was amusing when Al got angry about such inconsequential things. Well… they weren't inconsequential to Al, but Al had never really been able to see the bigger picture where Quidditch was concerned, and Scorpius didn't like to burst his bubble.

"I might sneak into some of their practice sessions and do a bit of snooping."

Scorpius didn't need to look up to know Al was smirking– he could hear it.

"Perhaps I could get some of Morgan's hair and make Polyjuice potion? How long does that take to brew?" he asked. Scorpius sighed.

"A month, Albus. You know that. I've told you that. And it's a stupid idea, anyway."

Albus sighed and slouched his shoulders a little, looking deflated. "Yeah, I know. I just hate the idea of them having any sort of advantage over us. You just know Hofton went straight back to them and told them everything. The Swallows are a really good team, too, and most of the team members were in Ravenclaw." He frowned again. "They're such a bunch of smug dickheads."

Scorpius suddenly remembered the Quidditch tickets his father had sent him. He'd forgotten all about them until Al had just mentioned The Southampton Swallows. They were still locked away in his trunk at the bottom of his bed. He'd have to give them to Albus soon – they'd be going home for Christmas holidays in a couple of weeks.

They finally reached the carriage pick-up point and sat down on the stone bench. It was damp, but Scorpius wasn't too bothered. The cold had made him achy and tired and he was looking forward to getting back to Hogwarts. Al slumped down next to him, still looking slightly despondent and let out a long, loud exhale that blew several messy strands of hair out of his eyes.

"You know," he said, "my mum didn't seem too bothered by the fact that I'd broken my knee. She said Bilberry was renowned for fixing broken bones and that as long as it wasn't getting in the way of my studying, she wasn't worried."

Scorpius turned to look at Albus in time to see him pout.

"It wouldn't kill her to show a bit of sympathy, you know?"

Scorp grinned. "By buying you tickets to see the Swallows, you mean?"

"Exactly!"

Scorpius shook his head, but he couldn't deny he was glad Al's mum hadn't caved. He wanted to be the one to give Al those tickets. He wanted to be the one who caused such excitement. He wanted to see the look on Al's face when he unwrapped them and realised what they were. He probably wouldn't, of course, since he was going to make Al swear not to open them until Christmas day. He'd expect an owl, though, and that was almost as good.

"Do you think Uncle Ron would get me the tickets?" Al asked.

Scorpius frowned. "I don't think it's fair to ask, really. They're expensive tickets."

There was a short silence, then Albus sighed again. Scorpius chanced another glance at him and briefly wondered if it would actually be better to give him the tickets sooner rather than later. Albus did have a rather large family and there was still the possibility of him actually getting the tickets before Scorp could surprise him with the two he had. And his were so much better, just by virtue of where they were – right up front in the Minister's box.

"Would you take Joanna if you got tickets?" Scorpius asked after a while, suddenly overcome with curiosity. He expected the answer would be yes. It would make sense.

Albus shrugged. "Probably."

Scorpius nodded, unsure why he should be feeling jealous – he didn't enjoy Quidditch and the thought of sitting through an entire game that Albus wasn't even playing in made him want to scratch his eyes out – but knowing Al would choose Joanna over him stung just a little bit.

"It's probably not going to happen, though, so it doesn't really matter."

Scorpius looked at Al for a while and clenched his hands into fists by his sides. He hated that Al's moods had such a direct affect on his own. He'd have to remedy that.

And soon.


	52. Chapter 52

The team had unanimously decided that Quidditch practice should be cancelled today. The decision had been made with smiles all round, however, because the whole school had woken that Saturday morning to six inches of snow. The first snow of the year.

The sky was a piercing blue and the clouds were grey and miserable-looking, but the grounds had been covered in a generous layer of sparkling white and there were still giant snowflakes falling in fanciful spirals to the ground. There wasn't an unhappy face anywhere to be seen in castle that morning as Albus sat down to breakfast in his usual place. There was snow falling from the enchanted ceiling and excited chatter among everyone at the Slytherin table.

"Good morning," said Scorpius as he helped himself to a slice of toast. "I assume practice was postponed?"

Al nodded, grabbing a couple of slices himself. "It was indeed. Not that I mind terribly. We get to have snowball battles, now. You in?" He grinned, determined to get Scorpius out into the snow whether he liked it or not.

Scorpius sighed and buttered his toast. "Do I have a choice?" he asked, and Albus chuckled.

"You know you don't." He grabbed the jam from the middle of the table and slathered both his slices until they were almost drowning. "Anyway, it'll be fun. And you need the exercise."

"Do I?"

"Of course." Al nodded, taking a large bite out of his toast and continuing with his mouth full. "You spend all day sitting on your bum reading. You hardly ever get out." He finished chewing and swallowed, catching the disapproving look Scorp gave him. He blushed and gave a small apologetic grin. "And besides, I want you on my team."

Scorpius smiled and shook his head, which Albus took to mean 'fine'. He took another bite out of his toast, grinning smugly to himself. He'd already planned out his attack on James and he just wondered if James had planned his attack, too. He wouldn't put it past him. He turned to face the Gryffindor table and saw his brother looking directly at him, smirking. Al frowned and clenched his fist under the table.

"If I catch hypothermia and die, Albus, I'm blaming it entirely on you."

Al turned to Scorpius again, who was grinning at him and raising an eyebrow.

"Alright," Al agreed, nodding. "But if you don't, you have to do all my homework for the next month. Deal?"

Scorpius laughed and pushed himself up from the table. "Finish your breakfast," he said, before making his way from the Great Hall. Al shrugged and tucked back into his toast.

After breakfast was finished, Al made his way back down to the Common Room. Most of the other Slytherins were busy putting on gloves and hats, getting ready to go out. Mike, Jeremiah, Alex and Craig were sitting by the fireplace discussing Quidditch and Al felt guilty for not wanting to join them. Alex caught his eye, though, and waved him over, so Al perched on the arm of the couch beside his team mates, leaning against the backrest.

"We were just discussing the possibility of getting tickets for the Swallows game this month," informed Craig. "The only tickets left are the really expensive ones, though. My dad tried to get some, but he can't afford the boxes. We were thinking, if we all pitch in, we can probably get two tickets."

Al's face lit up momentarily, but it faded instantly when he realised what that meant. "But there are seven of us," he said. "Who would get the tickets?"

"Yeah…" said Alex. "That's what we were trying to decide. We were thinking, whoever got to go could try and meet the team afterwards. Like… get into the V.I.P room or something. If we can talk to them we might be able to get some tips. Like Hofton did."

"So," cut in Mike. "We thought the person in the best position to get into the V.I.P area would be you. What with your dad being famous and all…"

Albus couldn't help the butterflies from taking flight in his tummy when he heard that, but he kept as straight a face as he could manage. He nodded, trying to look unaffected. "Right," he said. "And who else?"

"Well, we thought you should choose," replied Mike, shrugging.

Al blinked at them for a while, looked at them each in term, then sighed, feeling the butterflies settle slightly. He had to choose? He hated choosing. Especially when it was between people. And they all looked so hopeful.

"Well..?" urged Alex, and Albus frowned.

"I'm not choosing _now_," he said, standing up. "We don't even have the tickets, yet. What if we can't get them? How much do they even cost?"

"Um… one hundred and ten Galleons, fourteen Sickles and three Knuts," said Craig quietly.

Albus blinked.

"Each."

There was a silence for a while, then Albus nodded. "Right," he said, suddenly feeling a lot less excited about the whole thing than he had a few moments ago. "So… we're going to try and get two hundred and twenty Galleons, twenty eight Sickles and six Knuts together in time for the match in just over two weeks?"

His team mates looked at him for a while, then nodded silently.

Al sighed. "Alright. We can ask our parents if they're willing to help us out. We'll tell them it's for the benefit of the team, since Hofton got to meet the Swallows. Short of robbing Gringotts, that's all we can really do."

"My uncle might help us out, too," said Jeremiah. "He's sitting on a hoard he doesn't really know what to do with."

"And I've got a job lined up for the Christmas holidays," Craig chimed in. "It won't be much, but it'll be a something."

"Alright, then," Al said, not really fancying their chances, but clinging to the vain hope that they might actually manage to pull it off. "We'll do it, then. When we get the tickets I'll make a decision, alright?"

The team all nodded.

"Well, if you'll excuse me, I've got a snowball fight to attend." He grinned and made his way up to his dormitory to see Scorp sitting on the end of his bed, dressed head to toe in thermals and waterproof dragon hide boots, reading a book. He looked up when Al walked over to his bed and smiled.

"I was just about to go looking for you," he said as Al opened up his trunk and rummaged around inside. Al pulled out a thick woollen jumper and jacket sat on the edge of his mattress, facing Scorp.

"I was just talking to the team," he informed, pulling his jumper over his head.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. They're talking about saving up money to get tickets to the Swallows game. They said they can only get two, but that if they get them, I should go because of my dad, so I…"

He trailed off and frowned, concerned by the fact that all the colour had just drained from Scorp's face. "Um… are you okay?" he asked, leaning forward slightly.

Scorpius looked at him for a while, then quickly got up off his bed and opened up his trunk. Albus had no idea what was going on. He stood up and walked over to his friend, wondering why he suddenly seemed so frantic. Was he looking for something? He was about to ask again if everything was alright when Scorpius stood up, faced him and held out his hand, in which was clutched a gold envelope.

"I'm sorry," Scorp said, sounding somewhat out of breath. "I was going to wait until the holidays to give you these, but I'm worried they'll be useless by then. I don't want to step on anybody's toes."

Albus was confused. He looked from Scorpius' face, to the envelope in his hand, then back to Scorp's face again. "Sorry?"

"Take them," Scorp said, and Albus took the envelop from Scorp's hand. He looked at it for a while, not sure if he was meant to open it or just say thank you.

"Look inside," Scorp prompted, and Albus was relieved he'd not had to ask. He opened the envelope and took out the two pieces of paper inside. They were white with fancy gold lettering which read _'The Southampton Swallows Vs. The Bedford Badgers, 2:30pm, Tuesday 28th of December, Hamble Arena_.'

Albus wasn't entirely sure what he was looking at for the first few seconds, then his whole body nearly turned to jelly when realisation struck. His jaw dropped and his eyes widened as he read and re-read the words on the ticket. Ministry Box it said. And there were two of them. Two tickets to the Swallows game on the 28th. In the _Ministry Box_!

He looked up at Scorpius and suddenly felt absolutely horrible. He held them back out to Scorpius, trying to shove them back into his hands.

"What are you doing?" Scorpius asked, looking confused. Albus shook his head.

"I can't… I can't take these," he said, feeling his whole body tingle. "These are really expensive seats. I can't accept these…" God, he could only imagine how much these must have cost. He couldn't let someone spend money like that on him. Especially not Scorpius. And… oh Merlin… what if Scorpius had bought them for him because of all the whining he'd been doing about not being able to go? No… he couldn't take them. He'd feel awful.

"No, it's ok," Scorp said, smiling. "I didn't pay for them."

Albus stopped, frowning. "What? Who paid for them?"

"No one," Scorp replied. "My dad got given them from the Ministry. He said he didn't need them so he gave them to me." Scorpius shrugged. "I… well… I don't really like Quidditch, so I thought I'd give them to you." He grinned. "Merry Christmas."

Albus looked back down at the tickets and read them again. He couldn't quite believe his eyes. Or his ears. He turned the tickets over, just to make sure there wasn't a big 'Fooled You' stamped on the back. There wasn't. They were the real thing.

"So you and Joanna can have a good time at game," Scorp said, and Al looked up at him, still feeling as if he were floating around in some sort of beautiful, hazy dream. He nodded.

"Oh… yeah," he said, smiling slightly, before looking back down at the tickets again. He could feel his arms shaking slightly and he wondered if he should maybe sit down, take some deep breaths. "I… don't know what to say. Just…" He looked up at Scorp again and smiled a smile so big it almost made his face ache. "Thank you. So much."

Scorp smiled back at him and shrugged. "It's alright. It's not much of a present, really. I didn't buy it or anything."

"That doesn't matter. It's probably the best Christmas present I'm likely to get in my life." He grinned and looked at Scorp for a while, before flinging his arms round him and pulling him into a tight hug. He looked once again down at the tickets in his hand, over Scorp's shoulder, then closed his eyes, burying his face in Scorp's neck and finding that he smelled rather nice.


	53. Chapter 53

Choirs were singing in the snow-covered streets and there were Christmas displays in every window. Al grinned as he and Joanna passed by a shop window full of gnomes dressed as Christmas elves. Joanna had asked him to accompany her to Hogsmeade to do a bit of Christmas shopping, and Albus had been more than happy to do so. Christmas was possibly his most favourite time of year, and he couldn't help but be excited by the spectacle of it all; the snow, the decorations, the fairy lights, the shiny wrapping paper… it all made Albus feel rather warm and fuzzy inside.

Since their first snow earlier in the month, the stuff had hardly stopped falling. The pathways had been cleared, of course, but on either side of the road lay a pile of snow nearly three feet deep. Joanna had caught the look on Al's face when he'd first seen them and told him with nothing more than a withering look that he was not to dive into one, which Albus had grudgingly accepted. He silently pledged to come back to Hogsmeade with Scorpius before the holidays, though, and have his snowy fun. It never snowed where he lived, in Cornwall. The most they got was a nasty, grey sludge the day after a heavy rain. He wanted to make the most of the snow before it was gone.

They carried on walking for a while, before a fairy, glowing a rather brilliant shade of blue, flew in a spiral around Al's head and darted off to perch herself on the branch of a nearby Christmas tree. Al grinned at her and turned to Joanna, amused.

"Did you see that?" he asked, unsure whether he should be confused or tickled.

Joanna smiled. "I did," she said, nodding. "They say that's meant to bring you good luck. It's a fairy blessing."

"It is?" Al raised his eyebrows, then beamed. "Brilliant. I wonder why she blessed me, though?"

"Your raw, animal magnetism, probably." Joanna said, taking Al's hand and giving it a playful squeeze. Al squeezed back and laughed as they made their way further into the village, passing several similar fairy-lit trees and busy shoppers all going about their business. As they reached Honeydukes, Joanna gave Al's arm a gentle tug and pulled him inside. The shop was decked out like a sort of Santa's Grotto, with wreathes of holly hanging from every beam and tall, sparkling Christmas trees dotted along each wall. There was magical snow falling from the ceiling and not quite settling on the floor and more gnomes dressed as Christmas elves running around the shop, carrying bundles of brightly wrapped presents. Albus smiled and looked around when he heard Joanna chuckling beside him

"You look like a child on Christmas morning," she said, shaking her head fondly. Albus knew she was probably right, his cheeks almost hurt from where he'd been smiling so widely. Christmas did seem to bring out the nine year old in him.

"What do you need to get?" Joanna asked, reaching into her pocket for the list she'd written out on the carriage ride over. "I need to buy for mum and dad, but I doubt I'll get anything for them in here. Sarah, though… I can get her some Fizzing Whizbees and some of those cream-filled snowmen."

Albus shrugged. "Well, Lily likes Ice Mice, so I'll get her some of those, I guess," he said, unable to tear his eyes away from all the bright colours and lights. He was too busy looking at the decorations to be thinking too hard about anything else, really.

"Well," said Joanna, still clearly amused. "I'm going to go shopping. You feel free to go and look at all the pretty shiny things." She gave Al's hand another squeeze before making her way through the forest of trees and customers until Al lost sight of her. The smile was still fixed on his face as he walked further into the shop, looking around at all the displays. One in particular that caught his attention was a pile of boxed Chocoballs stacked in the shape of a giant snow man, complete with Sugar Quill scarf.

Albus wondered if he could convince his parents to decorate the house like this for Christmas this year. Not that they didn't all do a good job of making the house look festive, but there was just something special about the extravagance of Hogsmeade at this time of year.

He slowly made his way along the aisles of sweets and baubles, stopping by the Ice Mice to pick out several small boxes of multicoloured and patterned mice for Lily, and by the Exploding Bonbons to pick out the least suspect box he could find for James. He also picked out some Acid Pops and Jelly Slugs for himself and stopped to consider Scorpius' gift. Of course, he'd get him more than just sweets, but since he was here he might as well pick something out for him.

He still wasn't entirely sure what he was going to get Scorp, to be honest. It was strange, but his mind kept going blank every time he thought on it. He'd never had trouble buying for Scorpius before – usually a pair of gloves, or something silly from the new Zonko's – but that didn't seem enough this year. This year, for some reason, he felt any gift he got Scorpius needed to mean something, be somehow more significant. He wasn't even entirely sure what that meant, but trying to pick out Scorp's gift this year was not proving easy.

He sighed, realising again that he wasn't here with Scorpius and picked out a box of Clove Christmas Trees and Bertie Botts to be going on with.

He made his way around the shop nearly three times, still fascinated by all the lights, when Joanna appeared in front of him holding an armful of assorted sweets.

"I think I'm done," she said. "Are you ready?"

Al nodded and they made their way to the counter to pay.

"You know," said Al, when they'd finished and pushed their way through the crowd and out of the shop. "I think I could live in Honeydukes." He laughed as Joanna rolled her eyes and popped a Jelly Slug into his mouth. Jelly Slugs were a seriously underrated confection in his opinion; the gooey slime-like juice in the centre was possibly Al's favourite part of any sweet.

He and Joanna walked back along the road, past carollers singing '_Feast of the Founders_', and were almost back at the carriage stop when Al stopped dead in his tracks.

There, right in front of them, glowing like a beacon of other-worldly light, was the Christmas window display of _Lightfast's Quidditch Supplies_.

Albus nearly dropped his bags. He stood, transfixed, for several moments before making his way over to the shop. The new Stratus was hovering against a snowy backdrop, a tiny Golden Snitch fluttering about the display. In the right hand corner, however, was a plinth with a pair of gloves on it. These were what had caught Al's attention.

"Are you looking at that broom again?" asked Joanna, appearing at his side.

Albus shook his head. "No… the gloves." His nose was practically pressed up against the glass and his breath was frosting up the window. "They're the new Salamander hide gloves. Extra touch grip and _so_ strong. Look at them… they're gorgeous."

There was a silence while Joanna leaned in closer to the glass. Al could feel his saliva glands working over-time.

"Aren't they the ones that burst into flames every now and then?" Joanna asked, and Albus nodded.

"Yeah." He grinned.

"Isn't that painful?"

Albus scoffed. "Of course it's _painful_. But it's like… a badge of honour. All the Pros are wearing them now." He sighed as he looked at the price of the gloves – seventy Galleons – he'd never be able to afford that. It wasn't fair. He was one of the best players in the school – he should have a pair.

"Well, you'll catch pneumonia if you stand here salivating all day," said Joanna, giving him a slight nudge with her elbow. "Come on."

Al grudgingly pulled himself away from the window, looking back over his shoulder at it until they turned a corner and it was out of sight. He'd definitely be coming back before the term was out.

The ride back to Hogwarts was quiet, mainly due to Al thinking about the gloves, and when they got back to the castle Joanna grabbed him and kissed him so long and so hard that Albus thought he was going to fall over. He blinked as they finally parted. "What was that for?"

Joanna sighed and smiled at him, reaching out with her free hand to tug gently on Al's scarf. "Because I love you," she replied, leaning in again to kiss his cheek. "Remember that."

Al blinked again, unsure what to say. He'd not exactly been expecting that. He returned the smile and shrugged. "I will," he said, trying not to sound as confused as he felt.

There was a short silence, and Joanna let go of Al's scarf. "Where are you going, now?" she asked.

"Uh… the Common Room."

"Do you want to come up to Gryffindor with me?" Joanna asked. "We can wrap presents together and maybe you can spy on Stephen and Mike. They've been talking Quidditch a lot lately."

Albus felt awful, but none of that sounded in the least bit appealing. He'd been quite looking forward to getting back to the Common Room and talking Scorpius into coming to Hogsmeade with him next weekend. Truth be told, he'd missed him today. Rather a lot, actually.

"Um… maybe tomorrow?" he said, hating the look of disappointment that appeared on her face. "I don't really feel up for wrapping presents today. Sorry."

"Oh…" she said, face falling. "Alright."

Albus felt like such a total git for wanting to spend time with Scorpius instead of his girlfriend… but not enough of a git to change his mind, he noticed. He frowned, suddenly stuck by how odd that was.

Joanna gave him another small smile, though Al could tell it was forced, and shrugged. "Well, I better go and wrap these, then. See you at dinner." She kissed him on the cheek again and made her way hastily up to Gryffindor Tower, not stopping to look back or wave her usual goodbye

Albus just stood in the entrance hall for a while, staring after her. His brain was trying to put things together and failing miserably. It wasn't a terribly nice feeling, either. After a few long moments he sighed and gave up, making his way down towards the Common Room to find Scorpius.


	54. Chapter 54

The Christmas banquet the House Elves had put on was spectacular. Turkey, duck, goose, pigs in blankets, sprouts, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, fried potatoes, boiled potatoes… everything Scorpius could have wished for from a Christmas dinner. The Great Hall was decorated with tall, snow-covered Christmas trees, all sparkling with fairy lights and baubles and the snow fell thick and fast from the enchanted ceiling as everyone tucked enthusiastically into their food.

Albus helped himself to more pigs in blankets, filling more than half his plate with them, and Scorpius grinned and rolled his eyes.

"Of all the food on the table, you choose to gorge yourself on the least healthy," he said, taking another helping of sprouts from the large serving bowl in front of him.

Albus shrugged. "Of course," he replied, grinning. "You're the only person I know who actually _likes_ the healthy stuff."

Scorpius looked down at his own plate, filled mostly with vegetables of the green variety, and a meagre helping of turkey and cranberry sauce. Vastly different from Al's mountain of sausages and fatty duck breast. He couldn't help it if an inch of chewy fat on the back of a dead bird didn't sound terribly appealing. He knew Al was right, though; most of the students' plates looked exactly like Al's and his was the only plate he could see with more than the one token sprout on it. He sighed and tucked into his meal, comforted by the fact that his heart wasn't likely give out any time soon.

"What do you have planned for the holidays?" Albus asked, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. Scorpius shrugged.

"Nothing special. Mother says the House Elves have already decorated the parlour, so I'm quite looking forward to that."

"Oh?" Al said, carving messily into his duck. "What does it look like?"

"Oh, it's nothing amazing, really. It just reminds of me being a child. Our tree tends to be decorated in silver and blue."

"Like that one?" Al said around a mouthful of turkey, nodding in the direction of one of the trees by the teacher's table. Scorpius purposefully didn't mention Al's lack of table manners and just nodded.

"A bit like that," he replied. He looked at the tree for a while, then smiled, turning to face Al properly. "What does your tree at home look like?" he asked, suddenly curious. He'd never been allowed to Al's house and Al had never been allowed to his. All these years as best friends and he didn't even know what Al's house looked like.

Albus looked up, swallowed his food and gazed around the room. "It's a Gryffindor tree, very red and gold," he said, obviously looking for a tree to compare it to. "Like that one."

Scorpius followed the line of Al's finger to the tree sparkling with red and gold decorations in the far corner. It was much warmer-looking than his blue and silver one and Scorpius could easily imagine the Potter family decorating the tree together.

"I don't mind the red and gold, really," Al went on, smiling. "It's been that way since I was little so it's a sentimental thing. James likes to boast that we get a Gryffindor tree every year, but as I keep pointing out, it's the decorations that are Gryffindor-coloured, not the tree."

Scorpius grinned and shook his head. The rivalry between Al and his brother was confusing and rather difficult for Scorpius to grasp, being the only child that he was, but he was slowly coming to terms with the fact that there was nothing genuinely malicious in it. He would rather like to see them getting along at some point, though. He wondered how different they were when they were at home.

"What do you want for Christmas?" Albus asked, his tone changing as he put down his knife and fork and turned to face Scorpius. Scorp was quiet taken aback at the sudden change in topic and blinked at him for several moments. He'd not really thought too much about it. There wasn't actually much he wanted at the present time, and what he did want he couldn't have.

"There's not really anything I want," he said, truthfully. "Perhaps a copy of Ichabod Ivanhoe's '_Aztec Runes and Artifacts_'," he added, not wanting to be awkward. He hated it himself when people gave him nothing to work with, though he was generally quite good at gauging Al's wants and needs. The book wasn't part of their syllabus, but the topic fascinated him, and it wouldn't hurt to get a bit of extra-curricular studying done over the holidays. Albus simply rolled his eyes.

"Is that all?" he asked. "Isn't there something fun you want?"

"Books _are_ fun, Albus," Scorpius said, matter-of-factly. "Knowledge is power. And no, there's nothing else I want."

Albus looked at him for a while, then shrugged. "Alright."

Scorpius grinned when Al turned back to his food. He knew perfectly well what Al wanted, since he'd barely stopped drooling since getting back from their trip to Hogsmeade that weekend. Hopefully, as long as the shops didn't sell out, Albus would be opening up a brand new pair of Salamander hide Quidditch gloves on Christmas morning.

Pudding was eaten and Christmas crackers were pulled – Albus winning both times but deciding that Scorpius could keep the live mice. Eventually, the feast was over, and students slowly retired to their Common Rooms. Scorpius and Al made their way down to the Dungeons and took a seat by the fireplace. Most of the others were huddled in small groups, talking and playing with the presents from their crackers, and there was a definite feel of Christmas in the air.

Albus stretched in his seat and Scorpius glanced sideways at the slither of exposed skin on Al's stomach. He thought of briefly running his fingers over it, but the thought was quickly pushed from his mind as Al relaxed again and yawned.

"I'm going to go up and pack my stuff for tomorrow," he said, rubbing his eyes. Scorpius could tell he was tired. "You coming?"

Scorpius nodded and followed him up to their dormitory. They had to meet their families at Kings Cross at twelve o'clock tomorrow morning and it seemed like a good idea to get all their packing out of the way now. The room was quiet, with most of the students down in the Common Room, and Scorpius walked over to his bed and pulled his trunk out from under it.

"So what are _you_ doing over the holidays?" Scorpius asked, as he opened his trunk and shoved several books into it.

Albus shrugged. "Nothing apart from the Swallows games," he said, dragging his own trunk out from under his bed.

Scorpius turned to watch him as Al pulled his jumper off over his head and threw it into his trunk.

"Have you decided who you're taking?" Scorp asked after a while, his voice softer now, unsure whether the question was appropriate. Al's brief look of panic made him instantly regret asking. "Not that it's any of my business," he added quickly, not wanting Al to feel he was putting him on the spot. It wasn't anything to do with him, anyway. They were Al's tickets now, and he could take who he wanted.

"Um... no," Al replied, biting his lip. "I haven't actually mentioned them to Joanna yet. I suppose I should probably do that."

Scorpius looked at him for a while, biting the inside of his lip, before wordlessly going back to his packing. He didn't want to say anything further on the subject, already regretting having brought it up in the first place. It seemed that Al didn't want to discuss it either, since he too went back to his packing just as silently. Scorpius watching him out of the corner of his eye for several minutes, placing books and clothes neatly into his trunk and closing it once he was done.

Al took a while longer to pack, having to find room for his Quidditch leathers and uniform. Finally, Al closed his trunk and sat down on the edge of his bed, sighing and blowing hair from his eyes.

They sat and looked at each other for a while, then Al grinned at him. "You know… I kind of don't want to go home this Christmas," he said, and Scorpius understood the sentiment completely. He'd much rather stay here with Albus. He nodded in agreement.

"Me, too."

Al chuckled and shook his head, breaking eye contact and standing up. Scorpius averted his eyes as Albus changed into his pyjamas, finding it hard not to take just a peek at the lightly tanned skin, and leaned back against the nearest bedpost.

"Maybe we can arrange to meet during the holidays," Al said, causing Scorpius to roll his eyes in Al's direction. "Like we did over the summer."

Scorpius smiled and nodded. "That would be nice," he replied, suddenly feeling very tired, himself. He changed into his pyjamas and slid under the blankets, gripping the hem of his sheets tightly as he stared up at the canopy. It was only now that the realisation he wouldn't be seeing Al for two weeks had dawned and his stomach fell away, leaving him with an empty, achy feeling in its place.

Al yawned again and Scorpius could hear him roll over under his sheets. "I'll work something out," he said, and Scorpius turned to see Al smiling at him again. He smiled back faintly and felt the ache lessen somewhat. Al's smile always seemed to do that. Al closed his eyes and Scorpius watched him silently for several long minutes.

"Goodnight," he whispered, before rolling over and slowly drifting off to sleep.


	55. Chapter 55

James had been looking at him pointedly for their entire meal so far. Usually Albus would have been milking it for all it was worth, but he was in the middle of a dilemma and James' staring wasn't helping matters. It would be easier to choose James; much less messy. But he didn't particularly want to take James and he wasn't about to take the easy way out.

"… and James came dressed as a pirate and kept asking all the girls if they wanted to walk his plank," said Lily.

James nearly choked on his mouthful of juice and blushed bright red as he finally broke eye contact. Albus bit his lip to keep from laughing and looked over to their mum, who looked almost as embarrassed as James.

"Uh…" Ginny said, wiping at her mouth with a napkin. "And what did you go dressed as, dear?" she asked, obviously trying to change the subject.

Albus turned to look at his dad who was grinning slyly at him. Al took a deep breath, regained composure and went back to his meal, glad for the brief distraction, at least.

"I was a fairy," said Lily, leaning forward excitedly in her seat. "A green one. And Al was a knight."

Al looked up at the mention of his name.

"A knight?" said his mum, raising her eyebrows. "That's gallant of you."

Al shrugged slightly and grinned. "I got to carry a sword and call people lowly knaves. It was fun."

"And Scorpius was his dragon," Lily added, smiling brightly at him.

Al felt his stomach drop away then and he looked at Lily as if she'd just destroyed his Falcon. It took him a few seconds to realise he was glaring daggers at her across the table and that everyone else was looking at him. He glanced around briefly before averting his eyes, feeling his own cheeks burn. He really wished Lily hadn't said that.

There was an uncomfortable silence, then Harry cleared his throat. "So what time is the match on Tuesday?" he asked. Albus looked up at him.

"Two thirty," he replied, not daring to look in his mum's direction just yet. He could see her watching him out of the corner of his eye. "Well, the doors open at one o'clock, so I'd want to get there early."

"And who are you taking?" asked his mum, and Albus forced himself to turn in her direction. She was smiling, but it was one of those smiles that meant she was hiding something. She always did that. Al wondered if it was a mum thing. He shrugged.

"I don't know," he said, honestly. He'd thought of nothing but who to take since he'd got home. He'd not even told Joanna he _had_ the tickets, yet, and the more he thought about it, the harder the decision seemed to get. James _would_ be the easy option, but he'd really rather enjoy the match than spend the whole game bickering with his elder sibling.

And James was looking at him again.

"Take Joanna," Ginny said. "She can stay here that night if the game ends late."

James narrowed his eyes. "Or you could take your brother," he said, and Albus wanted to flick mashed potato at him.

Lily opened her mouth to speak, but Albus turned to her and silenced her with an icy glare. He knew exactly what she'd been about to say and he didn't particularly fancy getting into an argument with his mum on Christmas Eve. Lily sat with her mouth open for a while, then obviously thought better of it and sighed, picking up her fork and going back to her food.

He briefly considered asking one of the guys on the team if they'd like to go, but choosing between them would probably be just as sticky a situation as choosing between Joanna and Scorpius. Wow… he hated the way that sounded. Choosing between Joanna and Scorpius. It made him feel uncomfortable and itchy in his skin. He frowned and jabbed his fork violently into his gammon as the rest of the table got on with Christmas Eve dinner.

After dinner was finished, Al washed up his plate and made his way through to the living room. The tree was sparkling with its usual red and gold decorations and the fire in the grate was reflecting upside down in each bauble. Al smiled and sat down on the couch, just staring happily at the Christmas tree until Lily all but threw herself onto the couch beside him.

"Only three hours until Christmas," she said, looking almost unnaturally cheerful.

Albus grinned and nodded. "I hope you got me something nice," he said, joking. He'd ended up buying Lily a yellow knitted jumper with bumblebees on it, along with the Ice Mice from Hogsmeade. Bumblebees were Lily's favourite animal. Well… second favourite. Her favourite were unicorns, but there weren't any unicorn jumpers. That, along with the Ice Mice, was a pretty nifty present, he thought.

"You'll have to wait and see," she said, grinning. "And what did you get Scorpius?"

Al sighed, the smile on his face fading slightly. "I didn't know what to get him this year," he said. "I ended up buying him some book on Aztec stuff and a pair of blue and silver gloves and a matching hat." He shrugged, feeling like a rather pathetic best friend. He was still determined to get him something amazing, though. Maybe for the New Year?

Lily raised an eyebrow. "Why specifically blue and silver?"

Al turned to her. "Well… he said his Christmas tree at home is always blue and silver. I figured every time he wore the gloves or the hat he'd think of all the fun he has at Christmas or something." He winced slightly, even as he said it. "It's rubbish, I know."

"It's not rubbish," Lily said, smiling warmly at him. "I think that's really cute, actually. Shows you were thinking about him."

Albus gave a weak smile, but he still felt awful.

He turned back to the tree after a while and stared at it again. The lights were dimmed and the fairy lights on the tree made the whole room glow a warm orange colour. It was relaxing. After a while Lily shifted beside him, turning round to face him properly and tucking her legs under her. He turned his head to look at her and could tell what she was going to say even before she said it.

"Are you taking Jo or Scorpius to the game?" she asked, her voice hushed and calm.

He sighed again, thankful at least that their parents were still out in the kitchen. James had gone up to his room. Probably doing some last-minute wrapping, Albus thought. He looked at Lily for a while, the shrugged. "I don't know," he said, sounding slightly lost. "I've been trying to make my mind up since Scorp gave me the tickets." He bit his lip and frowned. "I haven't actually told Jo about them, yet."

"Well, I'd say that was rather telling, wouldn't you?" Lily asked.

Al shook his head. "Not necessarily. I mean… I haven't told a lot of people about them."

"But Jo isn't '_a lot of people_'. She's your girlfriend. Girlfriends and boyfriends are generally the people you tell things to."

Albus sighed again, louder this time, flopping his head back against the back of the couch. "Why did you have to start messing things up?" he asked, suddenly annoyed. "Everything was fine before you came along and..." he waved his hand frustratedly. "…said what you said."

"What did I say?" Lily asked, sounding surprised and confused. "What are you talking about?"

"You know what. The thing about me being in love with Scorpius. It's made everything awkward. Every decision is hard now, thanks to you and your meddling. Stop meddling!"

"Why? Why is it awkward? What's hard?"

There was a short silence, then Lily shuffled closer. "_Do_ you love him?" she whispered, obviously wanting to make sure there was no chance anybody else could overhear.

"No!" Albus snapped, frowning, then closed his eyes and scrunched his face up in frustration. "No… I just… I don't know. Maybe… No. You're doing it again!"

"Sorry," Lily said, moving back slightly. "Look, it's your life and your choice, and you do whatever you want to do. I won't do any more meddling."

Al kept his eyes closed for several moments longer, before opening them and looking at the Christmas tree again. "Good," he said, but there was no anger or venom in his words. Truth be told, it wasn't Lily he was annoyed at, anyway.

"I'm going to go do some last minute wrapping," she said after a while, pushing herself up from the couch. "I haven't wrapped your Gryffindor thong yet. Oops… said too much."

She grinned and Albus laughed despite himself. He watched her practically skip from the room and sat staring at the Christmas tree for a good hour or so before finally heading up to bed. It was late and he was tired and he still had his mum's present to wrap.

It took him a good half an hour to figure out how to wrap something sphere-shaped and he cursed himself several times for choosing to buy his mum a snow globe, but he got it wrapped after several attempts and pushed it safely back under his bed. He took a deep breath and leaned against the foot of his bed, sitting on the floor and facing the window. He still had a decision to make, and he wasn't sure his talk with Lily had made things any easier.

With a grunt of effort, he pushed himself to his feet and sat down at his desk, grabbing a piece of scrap parchment and his quill and staring blankly down at his hands for several minutes before finally writing

_Dear Scorp,_

_I know it's really short notice, but do you want to go to the Swallows game with me on Tuesday? I know you don't really like Quidditch, but I'd really like you to come with me. I haven't asked anyone else. Let me know._

_Al _

He read it back several times and the tightness in his chest vanished. His shoulders felt lighter, too. He smiled as he read the letter through a final time and sealed it. He snuck downstairs and woke his dad's owl, Nyx, apologising when she nipped angrily at his fingers, and tied the letter to her leg. "I'll catch you a big mouse for dinner tomorrow," he said, petting her back gently and pushing open the window. "This needs to get to Scorpius Malfoy."

The owl seemed to roll her eyes at him before taking off into the night.

Albus closed the window and crept back up to his room, turning off the light and sliding comfortably into bed.

From downstairs the clock chimed midnight and Albus smiled.

"Merry Christmas, Scorp", he whispered.


	56. Chapter 56

It was Nyx hooting angrily outside his window that woke him. He blinked blearily into the semi-darkness and sat up, rubbing his eyes as he scooted down to the end of his bed and pushed open the window. Nyx flew in and landed on his desk, holding out her leg, to which was attach a letter. The owl didn't look at all happy with him and Albus felt vaguely guilty for waking her from her sleep and sending her all the way over to Wiltshire in the middle of the night. It was a rather chilly night, too, if the frosty air blowing in through the window was anything to go by. Al closed it and shivered, moving to the desk and removing the letter from Nyx's leg. "Thanks, girl," he said, giving her as apologetic a look as he could. "I promise I'll find you a nice big mouse for your Christmas dinner."

She ruffled her feathers at him and turned away, obviously giving him the silent treatment. Albus knew he deserved it, so he couldn't really complain. She seemed quite content to settle down on Al's desk, though, so Al settled happily back into bed to read his letter. Dawn was just peeking over the field and since it was Christmas day it was unlikely the house going to be asleep for much longer. Al rather fancied a lie-in, actually, but that was hardly new.

He untied the blue ribbon from around the rolled up parchment and opened it out, recognising the handwriting straight away. For a moment his heart skipped a beat, wondering if maybe Scorpius was writing back to tell him he couldn't go to the match with him. Or didn't want to. He knew Scorpius wasn't the biggest Quidditch fan but he hoped he wouldn't pass up an opportunity to see him over the holidays. He braced himself and squinted down at the parchment.

_Dear Albus_

_Thank you ever so much for waking me in the middle of the night. And on Christmas day, no less. Your timing is, as always, impeccable._

Albus bit his lip and felt his whole body tense up. Not a terribly good start.

_However, despite my disturbed slumber, I would love to go to the game with you on Tuesday. Let me know of any further details when you can. I'm looking forward to it._

_Oh, and Merry Christmas._

_Scorpius._

It was the tiny little holly leaf Scorp had drawn on the bottom of the page that really made Albus smile. He breathed a sigh of relief as he rolled the letter back up and placed it on his desk. He half considered waking Nyx up again and sending a reply, but thought better of it when she hooted in her sleep. Waking her up now would most likely lead to talon-shaped holes in his face, and that was hardly what he needed for Christmas day. Instead, with a smile so huge he thought it might break his face, he slid back down under the covers to grab a couple more lazy hours.

When he opened his eyes again, it was because Lily was bouncing up and down on the end of his bed, holding up a bright red and green woollen stocking and talking so fast he could only catch every other word. Something about presents and a turkey. Albus didn't know. He frowned at her and was about to tell her to leave him alone when he suddenly remembered what day it was. He sat up in bed, suddenly feeling full of energy. The fact that it still wasn't completely light outside didn't seem to matter. Lily was still talking at him.

"I ate all the walnuts but I don't really like Brazil nuts, do you want my brazil nuts? I left the orange until later, too, but I might just leave that anyway. You know how hard it is to get all the cloves out. Did you get an orange? I bet you did. They always leave an orange in our stockings, don't they? What do you think the time is?"

Albus pushed himself out of bed, grinning in excitement as he put on his dressing gown and opened the door. There, on the landing, as it was every year, was his Christmas stocking. He grabbed it eagerly and threw himself back onto his bed, pulling out handfuls of nuts and chocolate treats, and his usual clove-dotted orange. He loved this part of the day – the part of the day before the main part started. The quiet, still slightly twilight-y part of the day before their parents woke up and Christmas became all formal. It was a more private, special part of the day. A part of the day that the three of them could revel in secretly, as if it had been made just for them.

"I'm going to wake James," Lily said, running from the room while Al rummaged through his bag, greedily shoving handfuls of sweets into his mouth. He could tell from the excited chatter coming from across the hall that Lily had succeeded in her mission.

The next hour was spent looking through small, moving ornaments, eating his way through a whole box of Peppermint Snowflakes, and reading out painfully bad festive jokes while the sun rose steadily over the trees.

It was the sound of his patents' bedroom door opening that caught his attention. The room was much lighter and Nyx was awake and flapping her wings experimentally. Al watched as she took off from her perch on his desk and flew from the room. He got up and followed her downstairs, where James and Lily were already sitting, groping at presents under the tree and whispering to each other.

"Mum and dad are up," he informed, grinning as they both sprang instantly away from the tree. "Just so you know."

"Where are their presents from you?" James asked. "They're not under the tree."

"They're under my bed," Al replied. "I'll bring them down later. What did you get them?"

"Me and Lily got a portrait done, actually."

Lily nodded. "With the Gryffindor House shield behind us. It's really well painted. I think they'll like it."

"What did you get?"

Al shrugged. "I got mum a snow globe with a picture of me in it, and I got dad a new jumper." He never knew what to get for his parents, but his dad seemed happy with his new jumpers every year, so it was all alright, really. There were several bottles of pixie scent his mum seemed to have very little use for sitting on her dressing table, so Al had decided against perfume this year.

"They'll like those," said Lily, smiling, while James just rolled his eyes. Albus could tell he thought his present was better, but what good was a portrait, really? If their parents wanted to look at them all they had to do was… well… look at them. You couldn't _wear_ a portrait, could you?

They were joined soon by Harry and Ginny, who insisted they all get washed and dressed before any present opening took place. It took all of ten minutes before wrapping papers starting to litter the floor. Al piled his loot up by the armchair as he got it, ripping off paper excitedly as each present was handed to him. Two books, one a biography on Orwell Barnaby, the star player for the Swallows, and the other a book on proper broom care; a pack of limited edition collectable Quidditch cards, complete with certificate to authenticate their rarity; a hand-knitted snake from Lily; a brass statuette of a lion killing a serpent from James; several pairs of novelty socks from uncle Ron and auntie Hermione; and a highly embarrassing tub of chocolate flavoured lubricant from Joanna. He quickly hid the last item under the novelty socks and tried to hide the blush from his cheeks. He was just about ready to carry his presents upstairs when Lily stopped him.

"Hang on," she said, diving under the tree. "There's one more here." She crawled right to the back of the tree, into the corner and pulled out a small blue and silver package. She read the label and looked up at Al. "It's for you," she said, beaming. "From Scorpius."

Al was aware of the way his mum's expression suddenly changed, but he ignored her as he took the package from Lily.

_Dear Al,_

_Hope you like them._

_Scorp._

Al frowned as he ripped open the paper, wondering what it was Scorpius could possibly have got him. He'd already given him the tickets to the Quidditch match, he hardly needed to get him anything else. His heart nearly leapt right out of his mouth when a pair of brand new Salamander-hide Quidditch gloves fell into his lap.

He wasn't sure how long he just sat there staring at them, but it must have been a while, because the next thing he knew everyone was staring at _him_.

"Are those what I think they are?" asked James, moving closer to get a better look. Albus closed his mouth finally and looked up, nodding. He wasn't sure he trusted himself to speak without squeaking yet. His heart was hammering in his chest and he felt like he might explode any second. He looked back down at the gloves and picked them up, turning them over in his hands and examining them. They felt amazing. So supple and yet so tough. Al could tell they would feel incredible on.

"That was very generous of him," Harry said, and Al looked over at his dad, nodding, not sure whether he wanted to shout gleefully from the rooftops or burst into tears. Something inside him once again clenched uncomfortably and he suddenly wanted to be alone.

"Um…" he said, standing up, still clutching the gloves tightly in his hands. "I'm… I'll be back in a minute," he said, before making his way hastily up the stairs, to his room. He closed the door behind him and leaned back against it, letting out a long, shaky breath that blew several messy strands of hair from his forehead.

He had no idea what to think at the moment. He looked once again down at the gloves and ran his thumb over the smooth leather. Scorpius had bought these for him. Scorpius had given him the Quidditch tickets. Scorpius was coming with him to the game in three days. Three days. It was insane, but there was a part of him that felt almost crushed - not by Scorpius, or anything Scorp had done - but by himself.

His talk with Lily last night was still fresh, and he hated the fact that she'd brought it up. This was not meant to be the way things worked. This kind of thing had never been a factor in his life, before. And why should it have been? He had a brilliant life. He had an amazing family, a beautiful girlfriend and the most incredible best friend anybody could ever ask for. Why did Lily have to go and open her big mouth? He wanted to punch her for it. And not so much because it wasn't true, but for the horrible, painful, gut-churning fact that, actually… it probably was.


	57. Chapter 57

Albus, of course, took every opportunity to tell fellow audience members that he needed to get by because he was sitting in the _Ministry Box_. He was aware of Scorp's eye-rolling but he was enjoying himself too much to pay it any mind. The look of jealousy on people's faces as they passed was ever so satisfying and Albus was grinning so hard he could feel his cheeks ache. Today was already shaping up to be one of the best of his life and the game hadn't even started yet.

They made their way along the upper row, shuffling past people in their seats and heading towards the stairs leading up into the Ministry Box. It was a lot more spacious than Al had imagined, with large, plush armchairs instead of hard wooden seats, lavishly wallpapered walls and the best view of the pitch Al could have hoped for. He looked around the room in amazement, still not quite believing he was actually here. The sound of the crowd cheering and chanting made his head spin in an excited, giddy kind of way and he beamed happily as Scorpius sat down in one of the armchairs.

"Well, if I have to endure an entire game of Quidditch, at least I can do it in a comfortable chair," he said, and Al turned to him, feeling a host of butterflies flapping frantically around in his stomach. He hoped the game would be as distracting as the rest of the day had been. So far he'd been able to block out the unpleasant sense of guilt he'd been feeling since Christmas by immersing himself completely in pre-match anticipation. It had been quite successful thus far and there was always mid-match excitement and post-match jubilation to look forward to. Of course, then there would be tomorrow, and he didn't really want to think about that, yet.

"Do you think we get free beverages?" Scorpius asked, looking around the room. Albus realised he was staring and quickly averted his eyes.

"Is that a drinks cabinet?" Scorp went on and Albus turned in the direction of Scorpius' gaze. It did indeed look like a drinks cabinet. He made his way over and opened it, pulling out two bottles of Butterbeer and handing one to Scorpius before taking his seat beside him.

It would be easy enough to ignore things for today, he thought, as he looked around the stadium. The Badgers' supporters on the other side were a sea of yellow and black, all chanting their team's songs. Al could hardly hear them, though, as everyone on their side of the stadium was countering with '_Soar Like a Swallow_', which made him smile.

He was quite content to sit and listen to the chanting, leaning forward in his chair and watching the crowd below as he sipped on his Butterbeer. Scorpius seemed equally interested in crowd-watching, if his leaning forward was anything to go by. Albus knew Scorp wasn't a huge Quidditch fan, but he could tell he was excited. Every time he snuck a peek, Scorp was smiling.

The chanting went on, getting louder and louder as the minutes passed. Several Badgers fans kept periodically raising a giant, moving banner they'd made for the occasion and Albus, despite being a Swallows supporter, couldn't help but feel slightly tingly at their dedication to their team. It almost made him wish he possessed some sort of artistic skill so he could do the same. Perhaps he'd ask around when they went back to school and find someone to help him in time for the next match. If he went, of course.

The game eventually started in a burst of fireworks almost an hour later. The sound of cheering was almost deafening, but it didn't stop Al joining in and jumping to his feet when Orwell Barnaby did a circuit of the pitch, followed in formation by the rest of the team. Scorpius clapped politely beside him and Al smiled as he watched him, amused at the slight grimace of discomfort on his face from all the noise. He obviously didn't understand quite how amazing Barnaby was. Al made a mental note to educate him after the game was finished.

The game was fast-paced and Al found himself almost hanging over the edge of the viewing window several times. Scorpius, for the most part, seemed quite content to watch quietly from his chair, occasionally sipping on his Butterbeer, but it was when the Badgers scored the first goal that Scorpius expressed any kind of genuine interest. Al groaned in disappointment and was surprised to hear Scorp groaning behind him, too. He turned round and looked at Scorp for several seconds, then grinned at the look of surprise that seemed to mist its way across his face.

"I have no idea where that came from," Scorp said, sounding genuinely confused. Al laughed.

"Sounds like somebody's enjoying the game more than they want to let on." He raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"Don't be silly," Scorpius replied, frowning. "It's you and your stupid infectious enthusiasm. Now watch your game." He turned his nose up and Albus had to bite his lip to keep from laughing out loud. He'd never actually seen anyone _literally_ turn their nose up at anything, before. Not even Scorpius. He watched Scorp for a while longer, watching the way he sipped his Butterbeer so politely; he half expected him to raise his little finger. It was sweet, Al thought, smiling to himself. The sound of anxious shouting quickly shook him from his thoughts and he turned back just in time to see the Badger's narrowly miss another goal. Everyone on their side of the stadium let out a relieved sigh in unison and Al picked up his drink and took another swig.

After an hour, the scores were 70-30 to the Badgers and there was a definite sense of disappointment on their side of the stadium; Al could feel it hanging in the air like a fog. He slumped down in his chair and sighed, watching as the Badgers' Chasers flew at Hollybrack in a Hawkshead, once again gaining possession of the Quaffle.

"I don't know why you're getting in such a mood," Scorpius said after a while. Albus turned to look at him, managing only a raised eyebrow in response. That was not the statement of a Quidditch fan, that was for sure. Scorpius went on. "There is no time limit in this game. How many points does the snitch give you?"

Albus frowned. "One hundred and fifty."

"Exactly," said Scorpius. "You're a mere forty points behind and it's not as if you're running out of time, is it?"

"That's not the point at all," Albus grunted, turning to watch as the two teams' Seekers shot off across the pitch. He turned in his seat, suddenly enraptured, unable to tear his eyes away. The whole crowd seemed to be holding it's breath as both Seekers spiralled round the Swallow's goalposts and zoomed at high speed towards the green. Barnaby's fingertips looked to almost brush the Snitch and every Swallows supporter gasped and held their breath before the Snitch seemed to vanish into thin air. Another groan of disappointment filled the air and Al slumped back into his seat.

A chuckle beside him made him turn in Scorp's direction again. "What?" he asked, frowning. Scorpius just grinned and shook his head.

"I'm so used to watching you play," he said. "I never get to observe you as a spectator. It's amusing."

"My pain and anguish is amusing?" Albus asked, not sure whether he wanted to laugh along with Scorpius or cry. Scorp was still grinning, though, and it seemed to lessen his disappointment somewhat. He look into Scorp's eyes for a moment, then down at his nose, once again filled with the inexplicable urge to touch it and compare it to his own.

There was a short silence and Albus was quite happy to ignore the game for a while and just examine Scorpius' hairline as a gust of wind blew the blond strands askew across Scorp's forehead.

"Al," Scorp said, nodding to something behind his head. "The Snitch…"

Al grinned. "What?" He wasn't quite sure what Scorp meant, but it hardly seemed important. It wasn't until a loud roar of applause and screaming filled the air that Albus turned round.

Orwell Barnaby was circling the pitch, holding aloft a fluttering Snitch while the rest of the Swallows did elaborate loops around the stadium. Blue fireworks erupted from the stands and it was clear the match had been won. Everyone around them stood and cheered, waving Swallows flags and banners and Albus was left wondering why the fact that he'd missed the winning catch didn't bother him.

Scorpius stood up and clapped, smiling and looking more excited than Al had seen him in a while. Al smiled as he watched, then realised that his team had won and joined in.

"That was a much shorter game than I had been expecting," Scorp said, turning to Al, still clapping enthusiastically.

Albus just kept on clapping and cheering, watching as the team did one more victory lap before exiting. The Swallows fans had broken into another round of '_Soar Like a Swallow_' and Al could see the defeated Badgers fans on the other side of the stadium slowly lowering their banners and slinking quietly out of the stands. He turned to Scorp again as he sat down and felt his stomach tighten momentarily, but he quickly pushed it from his mind, remembering that they still had to try and sweet-talk their way into meeting the team. His team-mates back at school would lynch him if they knew he hadn't even tried.

He gazed at Scorpius for a while, turned to look out the window, then sat down again, the chanting still going on all around the booth. It was a strange feeling, he thought, the mingled sense of exhilaration and dread that came from sitting through a much-anticipated Quidditch match with the person he'd just discovered he'd fallen in love with. Not that he had. Well, he might have… but he might not have. He didn't even know. It was confusing and stupid and he told himself once again that now was most definitely not the time to be thinking about it. What good did thinking ever do, anyway?

"Shall we go and talk to someone about meeting the players?" Scorpius asked, and Albus nearly jumped at the interruption of his thoughts. He was thankful for it, though, and he nodded, pushing himself up from his chair; anything for a distraction.

"Sure," he said, nodding and finishing off his Butterbeer. "Let's do that."


	58. Chapter 58

Al sat at the head of his bed staring down at his new Quidditch gloves. He'd been staring at them for a good forty minutes, now; his head swimming with all sorts of infuriatingly hazy, half-formed thoughts. He'd been walking around since the game in a sort of trance, only stirring from his reverie for food and the occasional toilet break. His parents had asked what was wrong, of course, but Albus could find no excuse to give them, so he'd simply shrugged and grunted something about school work before slinking back off to his bedroom to ponder some more.

Not that his pondering was getting him anywhere. Especially since he wasn't entirely sure what it was he was pondering. His thoughts were all over the place and no one thing seemed to be making any sense.

He sighed and turned the gloves over in his hands again, looking at the stitching on the wrist strap and idly rubbing his thumb over the textured leather.

So, he had feelings for Scorpius. That much he had straight. But what exactly were these feelings? And why? And when? And why him? And why Scorpius? And why now? And what exactly was going on? And a whole heap of other questions - some of which didn't even make any sense. It had got to the point where Albus was having trouble separating one thought from the other and his head was beginning to ache from all the brow-furrowing he'd been doing. It was even worse than the time Scorpius had refused to help him with his Potions homework and he'd actually had to use the textbook on his own.

His major problem was trying to work out where this left him on the whole sexuality front, since he absolutely knew for a _fact_ that he was not gay. Nor did he consider himself bisexual, for that matter. Not that he'd ever had any experience with either. In truth, his life had actually been rather normal. He definitely knew that he liked girls, though. He always had, and nothing about that had changed. He liked boobs and he liked hips and he rather liked vaginas, too. In fact, he wasn't sure the thought of cock had _ever_ crossed his mind before. Well… except for thinking about his own… he did that on a fairly regular basis.

Not that he was thinking about cock, now, of course. And definitely not Scorpius' cock, although when he _told_ himself he wasn't thinking about it all he could see in his mind was the image of a giant, disembodied penis. It was terribly distracting, not a little annoying and it wasn't helping at all.

He frowned again, feeling his forehead throb, and turned the gloves over once more. There was a chance it could have been all just the power of suggestion, and that Lily was, in fact, playing a very clever mind game on him. But if that were the case then she would surely have to be some sort of evil genius, because Al was pretty sure the emotions he'd been feeling during the holidays, and especially all the way through the Quidditch match, had been very real, indeed. And if it _was_ a mind game, then there was the even bigger question of '_Why?_'. What reason could Lily possibly have? What could she possibly be gaining? Nothing about the theory made any sense, and Albus was pretty sure he knew his sister well enough to realise when his head was being messed with. She wasn't nearly smart enough to pull it off, anyway.

No, that theory was out.

So what, then? He'd ruled out being gay. He was pretty sure he'd ruled out being bisexual, and he just ruled out mind control. This left him with very little to go on, since there didn't appear to be any logical sense to his feelings.

Perhaps he was confusing strong affection with love? Because he certainly held a lot of affection for Scorpius; he'd been his best friend for just over five years, and they'd hardly ever been apart… well… except during holidays and such. It would be weird if he _didn't _have strong feelings for him, but… no, that wasn't it, either. He knew that wasn't it because it ached like a punch in the gut when he attempted to assure himself of it. Once again he sighed, feeling as if the world was slowly tipping to one side and he was desperately trying to cling on before it turned on its head completely. He'd never been this confused, before; not even when Scorpius had tried to explain one of his more perplexing pieces of Arithmancy homework.

He looked around the room, as if something in it would give him the answer he was looking for. His eyes fell on the calendar – January the fourth – just two days left until they went back to school. Albus felt his whole body tense and a shudder ran down the length of his spine, making every hair stand on end. He was going to have to face this much sooner than he'd have liked. Truth be told, the fact that he had to face it at _all_ was hardly fair, he thought.

He frowned, suddenly wondering if Scorpius had been through the same emotions in the weeks leading up to Halloween and he kicked himself as he remembered the things he'd said. He really was an oblivious idiot. It couldn't have been easy for Scorp to keep such a secret, and Albus wondered if he'd had anyone to confide in. He doubted it, though.

Although… Lily. She'd known. And Joanna. Joanna had known, too. He remembered the little run-in Scorp and Jo had had… nether of them had said anything, but that _must_ have been what it was about. It made perfect sense, now. Jo must have said something to him and…

Oh, Merlin… Joanna!

The realisation hit him like a wall of ice cold water. He couldn't even think about talking to Scorpius about this… he still had Joanna, whom he loved and cherished. Joanna, who was beautiful and sexy and funny. He felt absolutely horrible as he realised he'd not thought of her _once_ in all this confusion. Her face had not even flashed briefly across his mind. The pit of his stomach fell away and he pulled his knees to his chest, biting his lip and feeling the corners of his eyes burn. This was _not_ how things were meant to happen. It was _not_! It felt like he was living someone else's life. It was the kind of thing they wrote about in those awful romance novels his Auntie Hermione read. He hated those books!

He thought of Lily again and was suddenly overcome with the urge to hit her. With a low growl, he threw the gloves to the end of the bed and stormed across the landing to Lily's bedroom. She looked up as he approached, smiling, only to turn to the side in time for Al's fist to connect with her upper arm. The smile was instantly replaced with a frown.

"Ow!" she said, rubbing her arm. "What was that for?"

"You messing my life up!" Al replied, feeling all righteously furious. His heart was hammering angrily in his chest and he felt like her might hit her again, actually.

"Is this about Scorpius?" Lily asked, still nursing her sore arm. Al nodded and Lily punched him back, getting him in the leg as hard as she could. Albus let out a squeal and limped away from the edge of the bed.

"Why did you do that?" he asked, even more confused than he had been before. She didn't get to hit him. _He_ was the angry one.

"You're not meant to hit girls," Lily said, indignantly. "And besides, you're being melodramatic and childish."

Albus wanted to strangle her. "Wh… you…" He stopped and glared at her, too angry to even form words.

"Stop acting as if this is the end of the world," Lily went on. "You have feelings for someone you didn't expect to have those sorts of feelings for. You either choose to act on them or you don't. The world isn't balanced on some sort of knife edge, waiting for you to make the right choice, you know."

Al glared at her a while longer, then sighed again, feeling the anger slowly draining from his body. "But what about Joanna?"

Lily shrugged. "What about her?"

Al blinked at her, unsure what sort of answer she was looking for.

Lily sighed. "I mean… do you want to keep seeing her? If so, then you can't really do much about this whole Scorpius thing, can you?"

Albus blinked again, then looked down at the floor. This was quite possibly the least fun thing he'd ever had to do in his life.

"But if you want to explore these new feelings then you're going to have to tell both of them. It's either-or, really. You can't have both."

Albus stared at the carpet for a while longer, then nodded. He knew she was right, but it didn't make things any easier. And it still didn't answer any of his questions. He didn't think Lily would have the answers, anyway. He realised, with another nasty gut-churn, that he was probably going to have to try and come up with the answers himself, and he wasn't relishing that at all. He nodded vaguely at Lily and mumbled a '_see you later_' before shuffling back to his own room.

He was still very confused, and as he flopped face first onto his mattress, he made the decision not to tell anyone _anything_ until he'd sorted things out for himself, first.


	59. Chapter 59

Albus had been playing celebrity too long to not be able to hide when something was amiss. The train journey to Hogwarts had been rather average thus far as a result, something which Albus was very grateful for. He found himself wishing Lily or James or… _anyone_ would come and join them, though. As convincing a job as he was doing, he couldn't help but feel extremely uncomfortable in his skin, sitting and chatting with Scorpius as if everything were as normal. God… what would Scorpius do if he had even the slightest inkling of Al's newfound feelings? Or Joanna? His stomach flipped and he frowned, staring out of the window at the wet, gloomy January sky.

"Have you had a chance to try the new gloves out?" Scorpius asked, and Albus turned to him.

"Not properly," he said. "I've tried them on, but I haven't played with them, yet." He forced a smile and tore his eyes away from the window. "Going to have plenty of opportunity soon, though. First match is in just over a month."

Scorpius raised his eyebrows. "Are you looking forward to it?"

Al nodded, although he and the team had a lot of practice to catch up on. They'd not been nearly as active this year as they had before, but now at least he'd met the Swallows and could bring back some of Barnaby's advice to his team mates. They would be over the moon when they found out. Not that it made _him_ feel any better, though.

"Isn't it Craig and Michael's last year, too?" Scorpius asked. "I assume they'll be wanting to win more than ever, this year?"

Al nodded again, going back to staring out the window. They'd discussed this being their least year in nearly every practice they'd had this term. He wasn't likely to forget it in a hurry. He sighed quietly, his eyes not focussing on anything in particular as the drab, dreary countryside sped past. Quidditch wasn't really at the forefront of Al's mind at the moment; nor had it been for the past two weeks. Not even when he'd been at the Swallows game, which had alarmed him quite a bit.

The carriage was silent for a while and Al was actually quite glad of it. As much as he didn't want to arouse any kind of suspicion that something was wrong, he wasn't feeling particularly chatty. Scorpius had been leading the conversation ever since they'd pulled out of King's Cross and Albus didn't have the heart to ask if they could just enjoy each other's company in silence. He needed to think… more aptly, his brain wouldn't let him _not_ think. It was horrible. He'd been able to nothing _but_ think since his realisation. He'd never done so much thinking in his life. This must be how Scorpius felt all the time. He frowned, caught sight of his reflection and quickly averted his eyes.

"Did you make any New Years resolutions?" Scorpius asked after a while. Al turned to him, forcing the frown from his face and just stared at him for several moments. Scorpius looked calmly quizzical and Al wasn't sure how to answer the question.

"Uh… no," he said, feeling slightly silly for finding such a simple query so difficult to answer. "Why?"

Scorpius shrugged. "Just trying to get you to talk," he said, and Al's stomach plummeted. "You've been very quiet today."

Al felt his back tense and he wanted to bury himself under his robes and stay there until they reached Hogsmeade. Instead, he simply gave an apologetic smile and shrugged. "Just feeling a bit under the weather," he said. "Tired, actually."

Scorpius continued to stare at him for a while and Al felt himself grow increasingly more uncomfortable under his gaze. Finally Scorpius broke the silence. "Well, if you want, I can read while you catch up on some sleep?"

Al fought with himself. He was being given permission to think in silence, but taking Scorpius up on his offer seemed frightfully rude. He shook his head. "No, I'm alright," he said, not sure whether to kick himself or not. But Scorpius had already pulled out a book.

"Well, I need to catch up on some reading, anyway," he said, opening the tome and turning to a book-marked page. "You sleep or do whatever it is you need to do."

Albus bit his lip, unsure what to make of the tone in Scorp's voice. He watched him read for a minute or two, then decided that sleep actually sounded like a pretty good idea. They still had several hours before they reached Scotland, and all the thinking Al had been doing had tired him out. He turned to rest his back against the wall and shoved his jumper behind his head. Hopefully his dreams would be about something _other_ than Scorpius.

* * *

Albus woke to Scorp gently shaking his shoulder. He blinked and peered blearily up at him, taking a couple of second to remember where he was. "Wha'…?" he mumbled, pushing himself up and rubbing his eyes.

"We're here," Scorpius said, slinging his satchel over his shoulder.

Al looked out of the window to see dozens of heads bobbing past the carriage. He didn't particularly want to move, but unfortunately staying on the train was not an option. His parents would never let him hear the end of it if he ended up sleeping all the way back to London. With a groan, he pushed himself to his feet and grabbed his bag, following Scorpius from the train to the waiting carriages.

The mud squelched under their feet and several people walking alongside them groaned as it oozed up over their shoes. Albus didn't really care too much, though he did notice that Scorp seemed to be walking carefully from one patch of soggy grass to another. They reached the carriages and stood in line, waiting as each group boarded and took off up the cliff towards the school until it was their turn.

Scorpius didn't say a word as the carriage took them to the castle, but Albus could feel Scorp's eyes on him the entire journey. They made their way through to the Great Hall in silence, too, and dinner went by with hardly a word spoken between them. Albus felt terrible. He'd never been one to suffer awkward silences before, but he could think of nothing to say. He somehow doubted that '_by the way, I think I may have fallen in love with you_,' was going to go down terribly well. And he still wasn't even sure he had.

"I'm going to get an early night," Scorp said, placing his knife and fork down. "If you're feeling unwell, I suggest you do the same."

Albus turned to him and nodded. "Yeah… I'll probably be down soon."

He watched Scorp until he'd disappeared round the corner and turned to frown into his empty plate. He didn't particularly feel like dessert. After several minutes, he stood and made his way from the hall, getting all of ten feet from the stairs before someone called his name. He turned to see Joanna running towards him, smiling broadly. She enveloped him in her arms and Albus closed his eyes, slowly returning the gesture.

"How was your Christmas?" she asked, pulling back. Albus almost didn't want to let go of her jumper, but he did so reluctantly, forcing a smile and shrugging nonchalantly.

"Pretty good," he replied. "You?"

"Oh, alright. I missed you, though. Why didn't you reply to my owl?"

Al's stomach churned once again and Albus found he was growing tired of all the stomach-churning. "Sorry," he offered sheepishly. "I was busy. But I missed you," he added, which was almost true. He'd at least _thought_ of her. Oh, Merlin…

"Well," she went on, still smiling. "A couple of us are planning on going to Hogsmeade tomorrow to catch the winter sales. Do you want to come?"

Al's automatic reaction was to say no, but he caught himself, seeing the look in her eyes and nodded. "Okay," he said, the smile on his face growing more painful by the second. "Listen, I'm off to bed, but I'll see tomorrow, alright?"

She nodded and kissed him, and he once again found himself clinging to her as she pulled back. "See you tomorrow," she said and made her way back to the Great Hall.

Albus wanted to cry.


	60. Chapter 60

Scorpius found he wasn't hating Malcolm Myneworth's company as much as he thought he would. In fact, it was quite enjoyable. The two of them had been paired together to work on a project for History of Magic and so far Malcolm had proven to be not only intelligent, but amusing and talk-to-able, which Scorpius hadn't been expecting at all. He'd grown used to his own company over the years, so discovering that not only did he enjoy Malcolm's, but Malcolm also enjoyed _his_, was quite a pleasant surprise.

They were working on a joint essay about vampire mythology in the middle ages and Malcolm had certainly proven his wealth of knowledge on the subject by actually having answers to Scorpius' questions. Scorpius found it quite refreshing, actually, to have someone whose interest in academia matched his own; it made him feel slightly less odd.

They'd been studying for over an hour, now, and had managed to get nearly three times the amount of work done than Scorpius ever had with Al. It was a completely different dynamic, and one which Scorpius found rather enjoyable. When he asked a question about the work at hand he received an answer to it, not an anecdote about last night's Quidditch practice. Not that he hadn't grown grudgingly fond of Al's Quidditch anecdotes, but it felt good to actually be getting some work done.

"So," said Malcolm, pulling a lock of dark red hair from his eyes. "After the battle of Walachia in fourteen fifty nine, the Sanguine clan were forced from Romania and fled to Slovenia, and slowly spread out over the rest of Europe over the next couple of hundred years or so." He finished reading and looked up. "Right?"

Scorpius nodded. "Right. Although not Albania, since the Strigoi clan had spread that far several years before the battle."

Malcolm nodded and picked up his quill, leaning over his book to take notes. Scorpius grinned wryly, wondering if he'd ever seen Al so eager to take down notes like that. He flicked through a few pages in his copy of '_Historical Misdeeds_' and scanned for information on the Sanguine clan's arrival in France.

_The clan's arrival in __Versailles in 1649 marked what most believe to be the beginning of the Sanguinian rule in Europe. Since their banishment from Romania in the mid fifteenth century, the Sanguine clan has expanded throughout Europe, becoming the most wide-spread and numerous vampiric clan since the Roman Pallidus clan near the beginning of the first century. Enemies of the Sanguinians, such as the Strigoi and the Kalte Haut, joined forces in rebellion against them in 1692, but the Sanguine clan had become too vast and too powerful, making the rebellion one of the shortest in European history and earning it the name 'The Very Short Rebellion'._

Scorpius marked down the dates on his parchment, along with a few keywords and the odd quote here and there. He looked over at Malcolm's parchment and saw that he was doing much the same, except with diagrams. He raised an eyebrow and pointed at the pictures with the tip of his quill. "What's that?" he asked, pushing his glasses back up his nose.

Malcolm looked up and gave a sheepish smile. "Um… you weren't really meant to see that," he said, grinning. "It's the Sanguine clan being chased out of Romania."

Scorpius smirked at the little stick figure vampires with oversized fangs, and the speech bubble with '_you suck_' coming from one of the fleeing Sanguinians.

"I doodle sometimes," Malcolm said, shrugging slightly. "It helps me remember things. Most of my research is covered in random little things like that."

Scorpius found this to be a rather unusual but pleasant quirk and he smiled, putting his quill down. "What else have you drawn?" he asked, resting his folded arms on the table. Malcolm pursed his lips for a moment and paused, as if considering whether or not to share, then pulled out a roll of parchment from a bag and unravelled it.

"This was the rough draft of the essay I did for Defence Against the Dark Arts last month," he said, sliding the parchment closer so Scorpius could get a better view. He pointed to a small sketch in the top right-hand corner. "It was about how to recognise a banshee from a fey, so I drew one of each. And down here…" he moved his finger further down the parchment to another small, slightly more morbid drawing of a tomb stone. "This was to illustrate the effect of hearing a banshee's cry. Rather direct, but easy enough to remember."

Scorpius raised his eyebrows, impressed at the simple yet effective method of note-taking. Rather adorable, too.

"Do you like it?" Malcolm asked, and Scorpius looked up, rather surprised by the look of subtle desperation in his eyes. He nodded, giving a reassuring smile.

"It's very clever," he said honestly, noting the relief that seemed to wash over Malcolm's features at his words. "I especially like the picture of the man with the bleeding ears." He grinned. "Very concise."

"Thanks," Malcolm breathed, re-rolling the parchment and putting it back in his bag. "I've not really shown those to anyone, before. Not to my knowledge, anyway. I'm sure they probably get odd glances in class and stuff." He grinned again and shook more hair from his face, reaching up to tuck it behind his ear. Scorpius smiled and picked up his quill, returning to his book once again.

The time passed relatively quickly, with the two of them exchanging notes and discussing pieces of the text. Scorpius had always enjoyed studying with Albus, but they never seemed to get very far on the actual _learning_ front. With Malcolm it was a completely different dynamic; not only were they discussing the assignment they'd been set, but they both seemed to be enjoying it, too, and the word '_Quidditch_' hadn't been mentioned once. They had nearly two feet of the essay written by the time Scorpius yawned and looked at the clock. It was almost ten and the library was empty, save for them and one lone Gryffindor loitering over by the Restricted Section.

Malcolm looked up when Scorpius yawned, then glanced over at the clock. "Oh," he said, apologetically. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to keep you up. It's pretty late."

Scorpius stretched and gave him a tired smile. He removed his glasses and put them back in their case before rubbing his eyes. "It is a bit," he replied, blinking as his eyes watered slightly. "Want to continue this on Thursday? I should be free in the evening." Al had Quidditch practice on Thursday, which meant he had nothing to do but study, anyway.

Malcolm smiled as he closed his text book and put it back into his bag. "Sounds like a plan. After dinner alright?"

Scorp nodded and suppressed another yawn, wondering when he'd become so tired.

Malcolm stood and slipped his bag over his shoulder, shaking the hair from his face one more time, and grinned. "See you on Thursday, then," he said, before making his way from the library. Scorpius chuckled quietly as he packed his own stuff away, wondering if maybe doodling was something he could introduce to Albus. It would certainly prove more entertaining to him than memorising facts and figures.

He slung his bag over his shoulder and made his way tiredly down to his dormitory, where it seemed Albus was already sleeping. There were still rather a lot of people down in the Common Room and it was unusual for Albus not to be among them at this hour, but Scorpius was hardly going to wake him up and ask why. Instead, he changed into his pyjamas, climbed into bed and stared blearily at the back of Al's head until he drifted off to sleep.


	61. Chapter 61

Albus frowned before he'd even opened his eyes and pulled the blankets up over his head. Nobody was moving by the sounds of it, which meant he probably still had a while before he had to start thinking about getting up. That was one good thing, at least. He'd had the dream again. He'd not had it for weeks, now, and yet it had chosen tonight to rear its ugly head and taunt him some more. And the most annoying part of it was that it actually made perfect sense, now. It had taken long enough. Albus cursed his subconscious for being smarter than he was and rolled onto his side, staying safely hidden under the duvet.

He guessed it made sense for the dream to be re-emerging, what with his thoughts and feelings being in the complete and utter mess that they were, but it didn't make it any less miserable for him. He sighed, opening his eyes and finding it was no lighter with them open than it had been with them closed. He stayed there for several moments, staring blindly into the darkness, before finally pushing the coves back down. His curtains were partially drawn, open on Scorp's side as they always were, and he could just about make out Scorp's supine silhouette in the dim light. The room was quiet.

With another sigh, he allowed the dream play out one more time.

Joanna's cheeks were streaked with tears and her eyes were puffy and red. Albus wanted to comfort her, even though he knew it wasn't real. Her shoulders shook as she cried and slowly the crowd of people around came into focus. It was different this time than it had been before, though, because this time there were people he recognised in the crowd. Admirers and people he considered friends. His team-mates were there, his group of female fans, even his brother.

Al frowned and closed his eyes to concentrate.

"_Why?_" Joanna asked, her voice hoarse and strained. "_I don't understand."_

Al knew his dream self was crying, too; he couldn't see it, but he could almost feel the wetness on his imaginary cheeks. He took a breath and spoke, sounding about as feeble as he imagined he felt. "_Please, Jo_," he pleaded. "_I can't lose him. He's too important._"

Al felt a shudder run down his spine as the words echoed in his brain. Too close to home, he thought. Way too close. His brain really had seen this coming, hadn't it?

The crowed started laughing then, as they always did. Albus forced himself to picture the face of every one of his friends. Alex and Craig were laughing, Olivia Wilmot was laughing, even James was laughing. Merlin, but that hurt. Al felt the muscles in his entire torso tense and ripple uncomfortably and he curled himself into a tight, protective ball.

"_Albus, I'm your girlfriend. That has to count for something._"

The laughter grew louder as Albus felt his dream self trying, and failing, to keep hold of the situation. There was a perfectly logical explanation for what Al was saying. Why couldn't they all just understand?

"_The past five years have been some of the best of my life,"_ dream Albus went on._ "I can't just throw that away – I can't_."

Al braced himself for the final, deadly blow. Joanna's face hardened. "_Well, if you can't make time for me, than feel free to spend it all with him. That's it, Albus_. _It's over._"

A loud, ear-splitting shriek of a laugh cut through the air like a blade and Albus raised his wand, fury bubbling away inside his gut, and had only a second to realise it was James he'd just blown to smithereens.

The dream ended, and even though Albus had consciously made himself re-watch it he found that his heart was hammering in his chest as if he'd just woken from it. He opened his eyes again and gazed around the room, not concentrating on anything except the mess of thoughts running round in his head.

He's too important, he'd said. And he'd said it long before any of these confusing emotions had got in the way. He's too important. And the past five years _had_ been some of the best years of his life. There was no way he could possibly dispute that, and he wouldn't want to. Apart from his family, Scorpius had been the one constant in his life since he started at Hogwarts. He couldn't imagine his life without Scorpius in it.

God… it was becoming more and more obvious that Lily was right. It was hardly worth denying at this stage. He rolled onto his back and looked resolutely up at the canopy. Yes, he thought to himself, he was in love with Scorpius.

No sooner had he thought it than a wave of nausea washed over him. He sat bolt up right, hoping he wasn't going to have to launch himself across the room to the toilets. The last thing he wanted to do right now was wake people up. He took a few deep breaths and slowly felt the queasy feeling in his gut subside. The room was still silent; the only sound that reached Al's ears was the sound of Jeremiah's usual snoring. With a sigh of relief, he lay back down and covered his face with his hands.

Alright so… he'd established one thing in all this mess. There was, however, one huge, undismissable detail.

Scorpius was a boy.

Al hadn't really taken much time to consider this factor so far, since overcoming that first hurdle had been his main priority. Al wasn't gay. Now, that could potentially prove problematic, he thought, because he liked girls. He hadn't really ever been that interested in examining sexuality – his or anybody else's – but he was sure he could probably look and look and still come to the conclusion that he liked girls.

He knew what the question probing at the back of his mind was, but he was terrified of asking it. How in Merlin's name was he meant to ask something like that without even the slightest inkling of an answer?

He almost moaned in despair when a voice in his head asked it for him.

_Could you kiss him?_

Honestly? He didn't know. Could he? Would he want to? He was in love with Scorpius, yes, but was he _attracted_ to him? He was good-looking, obviously; a person would have to be blind and stupid not to notice that. His skin was pale and creamy, his eyes were like liquid silver, his nose… alright, yes… Al was attracted to him. And wow, what a revelation. He'd always been aware of how good-looking Scorpius was... why had it taken him until now to view that as anything more? He could only assume it was his feelings that had changed his perception. He remembered losing himself in Scorp's nose on more than one occasion in the past few weeks.

Scorpius rolled over in his sleep and Al's heart felt like it might leap out of his mouth. For a fleeting second he wondered if he hadn't been speaking his thoughts out loud, then realised what a stupid thought that was and allowed himself to relax once again.

If he was, indeed, attracted to Scorpius, and in love with him… then what on earth _was_ he? Bisexual? He frowned; that label didn't sit well with him, either. The term 'bisexual' implied an attracted to men… and he _wasn't_ attracted to men. Just Scorpius, it seemed. So that left him with really only one option. He was a straight man who had developed unexpected feelings for his male best friend and was really quite confused about the whole thing.

It didn't really make much sense, but it was the only thing that fit. There was movement from across the room, a creaking of bedsprings, and Albus pulled the curtains back just far enough to see Jeremiah climbing out of bed. That meant the rest of them would soon be getting up, too. Albus felt his whole body tremble at thought of having to face the world with this newfound knowledge. Everything was going to be different, but only he was going to know it. That was an entirely unappealing thought.

He had Herbology first thing. At least he wouldn't have to face Scorpius straight away, then. He pulled the covers up over his head again, refusing to move until he absolutely had to. Friday was not his favourite day, anyway. At least he had dinner at Hogsmeade to look forward to with Joanna.

His eyes snapped open.

Oh God… Joanna!


	62. Chapter 62

It seemed Quidditch practice had taken centre stage for Al at the moment; he seemed to be on the pitch more than he was off it. For Scorpius, this was both a good and bad thing. Good because he'd been able to get more work done and spend time with Malcolm, and bad because, well… he hardly saw much of Albus these days. The amount of hours he'd spent alone with Al in the past week he could count on one hand, and as much as he was enjoying Malcolm's company and the chance to get some actual work done, he missed his best friend.

All the time they had spent alone, Al had seemed somewhat skittish. Scorpius assumed the pressure of their rapidly approaching first match was probably a factor in Al's odd behaviour of late, but he knew that wasn't all of it. He'd known Al too long not to know when something was amiss, and something was definitely amiss at the moment. Al's usual exuberance and boisterous charm had been replaced with a certain melancholy… something. The only word that came to Scorpius' mind was contemplation. Al seemed lost in thought a lot of the time. Scorpius had tried on several occasions to coax him out of his shell, but had thus far been rather unsuccessful in earning more then the odd temporary smile. He was beginning to feel rather helpless, actually, because until Al told him what was wrong, there was very little he could actually do.

He sighed as he turned a page in his book, propping his chin up in his hand and resting his elbow on the table.

"Everything alright?" Malcolm asked, looking up from his own book, across the table.

Scorpius blinked, suddenly realising he'd just read the whole of the last page without taking in a word of it. He turned the page back and looked up, attempting what he thought was a reassuring smile. "Yes, sorry," he said. "Just thinking."

Malcolm put his quill down. "About what?" he asked. Scorpius looked across as the little doodle in the top left-hand corner of Malcolm's parchment of what he assumed was Stonehenge and smiled, shaking his head.

"Nothing, really," he replied. He and Malcolm had studied together only a handful of times; it hardly seemed appropriate to involve him in his and Al's problems If that's what he could call them. He'd probably be bored witless, and Scorpius wasn't entirely sure he wanted anyone to know, anyway. To talk about Al's strange mood would mean having to explain the whole story, and Scorpius didn't particularly fancy going over it all again. It was still rather a sore point in his memory and he'd tried not to think too much about it. Besides, Malcolm was meant to be separate from Al; a different part of his life that Al wasn't a factor in. Bringing him into it now would probably put Malcolm right off, and Scorpius didn't want that.

Malcolm smiled. "Okay," he said, and went back to his work. Scorpius watched him add a little witch to his Stonehenge diagram before going back to his own book.

They had a two foot-long essay on Stonehenge's role in Arthurian legend due for the following week and both he and Malcolm had decided to get some studying in, since they both had the evening free. Scorpius had actually found the lesson rather interesting, so he wasn't entirely sure why he was having such difficulty concentrating.

He got half way down the page before realising he didn't remember anything he'd just read. He glanced up at Malcolm who was busy taking notes, and bit his lip, not wanting to disturb him again. This wasn't the place to air his troubles, and as nice as Malcolm was, they didn't really know each other well enough for that, yet. It was annoyingly ironic that he'd never had a problem bringing things up with Al, and yet it was Al he wanted to discuss. He played with his quill, rolling it between his thumb and forefinger as he stared blankly across at Malcolm's parchment.

He really shouldn't be letting this interfere with his study time; the whole purpose of these hours with Malcolm was to give him a bit of time he could call his own. To prove to himself he could be someone in his own right, without Al there to constantly prop him up. If he couldn't even go three hours without thinking about him then what hope did he have of proving anything to anyone? He frowned, unaware that Malcolm was looking at him until he spoke again.

"I'm going to assume it's not the work that's bothering you?" he asked, raised a questioning eyebrow. Scorpius took a few seconds to let Malcolm's words sink in and make sense before he stopped frowning and sighed again, shaking his head.

"No, it's not," he said.

Malcolm shrugged. "So what is it?" He leaned forward slightly and Scorpius felt the back of his neck tingle uncomfortably. He didn't want to lie to him and say it was nothing when he'd done a rather poor job of hiding it, but telling the truth wasn't a particularly appealing prospect, either. He shook his head.

"It's nothing big," he said, unsure exactly how true that statement was. "Just personal stuff. I don't want to bore you…"

"No, it's alright," Malcolm smiled. "I don't bore easily. I once actually _did_ watch paint dry."

Scorpius frowned. "Why did you do that?"

"To see the way the colour changed," he said. "We'd just had the dining room repainted and the colour on the tin was a few shades lighter than the one that went on the walls."

Scorpius looked at him for a while, then smiled; he really did seem like a genuinely nice guy. He looked down at his almost blank sheet or parchment and sighed once again.

"It's about my friend."

"Al Potter?" Malcolm asked. Scorpius looked up, somewhat surprised, before realising that _everyone_ knew Al. It would probably be hard not to notice the quiet blond boy following him around everywhere he went. Scorp's stomach fell slightly at that realisation, but he nodded.

"Yeah," he said. "He's been a bit… not himself, lately. Sort of quiet and withdrawn."

"Well, isn't his first match coming up soon?" Malcolm asked. "Maybe he's worrying about that?"

Scorpius shook his head. "No, it's not that. He usually gets excited when there's a match coming up." Scorpius paused. "To be honest, he even gets excited before most mealtimes. He's not the kind of person to just shut off like this, but I can't seem to get any kind of answer from him."

Malcolm furrowed his brow slightly and crossed his arms on the table. "Has something happened to him recently? Has he had some bad news or something?"

Scorpius shook his head, unable to think of anything that might be the cause. Well… besides the obvious, but as far as Scorpius was concerned everything on that front had been discussed and settled, so it made no sense for it to still be affecting Al in any way.

"When did he start acting like this, then?" Malcolm went on and Scorpius found pinpointing an exact time rather difficult. He shrugged.

"I don't know… he's sort of been like it ever since we came back from the holidays. He wasn't like this during them, though, that's the weird thing. I don't know what happened between then and now, and he won't tell me."

"He's dating that girl in Gryffindor, isn't he?" Malcolm asked.

Scorpius nodded, forcing a sneer from his face.

"Well maybe he's having troubles with her?" Malcolm shrugged, obviously having nothing to go on. Scorpius felt his stomach and chest tightened momentarily before his whole body seemed to slump when reality cut his excitement in half. He gave a wry grin and shook his head.

"I doubt it," he said, trying to keep the bitterness from his voice as he looked down at the quill still in his hand. "Honestly, you don't need to try and help. It'll probably sort itself out," he said, knowing that that probably wasn't even remotely true. Malcolm obviously wasn't going to have the answer to his problems, and despite his impressive paint-watching claim, Scorpius was sure the conversation would start getting boring for him pretty quickly.

Malcolm looked at him for a while, then nodded, smiling. "Okay. But you can talk to me about stuff, you know. I won't be all judge-y or anything."

Scorpius smiled back, unsure how to answer that, so he simply went back to his page and started again.

He was grateful for the offer, even if he wasn't ready to talk about anything personal, yet. It was reassuring just to know he had a friendly ear.


	63. Chapter 63

It was nearly nine o'clock when Albus finally walked into the Common Room. Scorpius looked up from his book as the door closed and watched as Albus slunk over to the couch and flopped down into it. He looked just as miserable and despondent as he had done all week, his Cherry Falcon having been left to fall to the floor at his feet. He had his first match tomorrow… how on Earth was he meant to be any good to the team if he was going to be like this the whole time?

Scorpius shook his head and closed his book, sliding his glasses off his nose and tucking them into his shirt pocket. He pushed himself up from the table and made his way over to the couch, flopping down next to Al and sitting with him in silence for several minutes. It was surprisingly quiet for a Tuesday night, Scorpius thought; usually people were crowded around various tables and couches, talking and studying and playing games late into the night. It seemed they'd decided on quieter pursuits this evening, though, which Scorpius supposed was a good thing.

Al let out a sigh and Scorpius rolled his eyes in Al's direction.

"How did practice go?" he asked, resting his head against the back of the couch. Albus shrugged, staring into the fire as if hypnotised.

"Alright," he grunted, sounding about as deflated as he looked.

"Looking forward to tomorrow?" Scorpius went on, determined to get Albus out of the funk he'd enveloped himself in. Albus shrugged again and mumbled something incoherent and Scorpius frowned.

"You know, anyone would think there was something on your mind," he said, trying to keep the annoyance from his voice. "But you'd have mentioned it by now if there was, wouldn't you?" He raised an eyebrow as Albus turned to him, forcing himself not to crumble at the look of anguish on Al's face. He looked at him sternly and stood his ground, despite the fact that Al was clearly and almost effectively trying to wear him down. Their silent staring lasted for a while, before Al sighed again looked down at his lap. Scorp's irritation turned to concern and he shuffled closer. "What's wrong?" he asked, turning to the side to face Al head-on.

Albus simply shook his head and gave a weak, defeated laugh. "Nothing," he said, sounding as if even he didn't believe it. Scorpius decided to say nothing, knowing from experience that he could usually count of Al's own guilt to get him talking. He crossed his arms and leaned forward slightly, waiting.

"It's just…" Al went on, then paused. Scorpius could see him trying to form the words in his mind. "I've had a lot on my mind, lately."

"Like what?" Scorpius lowered his voice.

Al shrugged again, not looking up from his lap. "All sorts of things. About me, about my family, about… life, I guess."

Scorpius frowned, not entirely sure how he should respond. "What brought this on?" he asked. "You seemed fine when I saw you at Christmas."

"I was," Al replied, before scrunching his nose up. "Sort of. That's kind of when it started, really."

"What started?" Scorpius leaned further forward, suddenly worried that something big had happened and he hadn't known about it. God, what if someone had died? What kind of horrible person would he be if all this time Albus had been mourning the loss of a loved one and all he'd been thinking about was how Al's silence had been affected _him_? He felt his throat constrict slightly and he bit the inside of his lip, hoping against hope that it wasn't anything as awful as that.

"I just started looking at myself differently," Al said. "It's like… like everything moved and changed shape or something. You know, like if suddenly we came back after summer one year and they'd changed all the House colours."

Scorpius let out a silent sigh of relief and relaxed slightly, thankful it hadn't been as bad as he'd expected. In fact, it had been nothing like he'd expected. He wasn't entirely sure what he _had_ expected, to be honest, but this wasn't it. He shifted slightly, tilting his head to one side. "What do you mean?" he asked, not sure exactly what to make of what Al was saying. "What's changed?"

"Nothing," Al said again, almost automatically, then frowned and finally looked up at the fireplace. "Everything." He turned to Scorpius with that pained expression on his face again. "I have no idea where anything is anymore. It's like when mum tidies my room and puts stuff away. I put those things on the floor for a reason, you know? So I knew where they were. Now I have to go rummaging around in drawers and stuff and it's just…" He stopped and shook his head again. "It's just annoying."

Scorpius looked at him, watching as he turned away again to stare desolately into his lap.

"So…" he began, trying to make sense of things in his head. "What is it in your life that's changed?"

Albus was quiet, just blinking in the flickering firelight. Scorpius moved slightly closer and placed a comforting hand on Al's shoulder, surprised at Al's slight flinch. "Al…?"

He watched the way Al closed his eyes, as if trying to fend off some unknown thought or emotion. When Al opened them again they seemed clearer - more focused. He took a deep breath and turned to face Scorpius again, giving him what he probably assumed was a reassuring smile. Scorpius knew better, but decided not to say anything.

"Honestly," Al said, brightly. "It's not a big deal. I'm sorry I've been so rubbish lately. I guess practice has been more stressful than I thought it would be."

Scorpius could tell when Al was putting a brave face on something – he knew him much to well to be fooled by it – but he somehow couldn't find the heart to keep pushing. Not at the moment. He looked into Al's smiling face for a few moments, then gave a small nod, removing his hand from Al's shoulder and moving back slightly.

"Will you be coming to watch me play tomorrow?" Al asked, and Scorpius nodded.

"Of course." He hoped Al would be alright for the match tomorrow. It was the first match of the year and he knew how important these games were to Al.

Albus nodded and picked up his Falcon, standing and slinging the broom over his shoulder. "Cool," he said, before giving a small yawn. "Right, well, I have a busy day tomorrow. I better catch up on some sleep if I want to be on top form. You heading up soon?"

Scorpius nodded, feeling slightly lost and adrift, having no idea what was going on and feeling helpless to do anything about it. "Yeah... soon. See you up there."

Al nodded and made his way to the dorm and Scorpius watched the way his shoulders hunched the second his back was turned. It was like a light switch, or a mask. Al was good at that – making people think one thing while the other was true. Scorpius guessed that's why the Sorting Hat had chosen to place him in Slytherin. It felt awful being so useless, because Al needed… well, something.

Whatever it was that had changed, Scorpius thought, he would find a way to make it right.


	64. Chapter 64

It felt like the game had been going on for hours. It probably had, actually; Albus noticed the way the sky had turned a slightly darker shade of blue from when they'd started playing. The points were in their favour at the moment, but all it would take was for Morgan to catch the Snitch for the game to go to Ravenclaw. Albus and Morgan had had several Snitch-chases around the pitch so far, both having lost sight of it every time as it had doubled back over their heads and vanished into thin air. Morgan was now circling a few dozen feet above him while the game went on below.

"And it's Bluehover with the Quaffle, now," cried Bradley Mcinnock, his voice resounding round the pitch. "Nicely intercepted there. I don't think Simmons was expecting that; not if the look on his face is anything to go by. She passes to Hofton… Hofton passes back to Bluehover; a perfectly executed Malski Bluff, there. Most likely something Hofton picked up from Swallows this summer. Well done, Ravenclaw."

Albus watched the game, but he was only half-interested. The team were playing well, holding their own. Mike was doing an excellent job on goal, having saved seven shots from the Ravenclaw Chasers so far, and he was in position now as the two Ravenclaws approached. Al sighed as he watched them zoom towards the goal, passing the ball back and forth between them as they went. Clearly a new tactic, since he'd never seen that move before. He wondered if it _was_ something Hofton had picked up from the Swallows. He'd not really brought anything back from his meeting with them; he'd been too busy staring at Scorp's nose while Barnaby had been talking enthusiastically about his years playing amateur Quidditch for his town's local team.

He turned his head to the Slytherin stands, scanning for Scorp's blond hair. He couldn't see him, but a gasp from the crowd drew his attention back to the game in time to see a Bludger heading straight for Bluehover. It was well-aimed, one of Jeremiah's, and it connected hard with the front of Bluehover's broom, knocking her off course and sending her into a spin. Craig swooped in to catch the Quaffle as it fell from her hands and turned to dart off in the opposite direction, closely followed by a very angry-looking Hofton. They passed below him so close that Hofton's robe brushed against his right stirrup. He turned to watch them; the way Hofton dodged another of Jeremiah's Bludgers and the way the two remaining Ravenclaw Chasers joined the formation.

Craig remained on a steady course for the goal posts, the three Ravenclaws hot on his tail, before turning sharply to the right and making sure the three of them followed before passing the ball vertically downwards into Alex's waiting hands. The Ravenclaw Chasers didn't have enough time to swerve back before Alex had sent the Quaffle through the goalpost to McCloud's right, earning a deafening cheer from the Slytherin stands as the bell rang out across the pitch. The scores were now 120 – 30 to Slytherin, but there was still a crucial Snitch to be had and Al hadn't seen it for a good forty minutes or so.

Amongst all the cheering faces, Albus finally caught sight of Scorpius, smiling and clapping along with the rest of their House-mates, looking genuinely happy to be there. In any other circumstances Al would have been ecstatic to see Scorp enjoying a Quidditch game, but instead he just felt his spine stiffen and his body tense as everything he'd been trying to push aside for the game came crashing back. This was not what he needed right now. He'd purposefully avoided thinking about it all day, and now Scorp had had to remind him of it right in the middle of a game. Stupid Scorp! Al frowned and tore his eyes away… or, he _meant_ to tear his eyes away, only he found it was harder than he'd anticipated and he sat staring at Scorpius, balanced half way between fury and utter helplessness before Jeremiah appeared in front of him to bat away a Bludger that had been on a direct collision course with his face. He blinked in surprise as he realised how close he'd just come to having his nose caved in and instantly felt himself flush at Jeremiah's angry glare.

"Wake up, Al," he snapped, scowling. "Or next time I'll just let it get you. You're Captain, for Merlin's sake. Focus." And with that he sped off, leaving Al feeling uncomfortably self-conscious. He shook his head, as if to clear it, and turned away from the Slytherin stands, scanning the pitch for any sign of gold.

The match continued for what seemed like days as Al circled the pitch slowly, never letting Morgan out of his sight as the Chasers got on with the game. The scores had changed again, and the Snitch was not crucial at the moment. It was 190-30 to Slytherin, but that made Ravenclaw only one goal and caught-Snitch away from a draw and Al knew Mike hated penalties. The sky was starting to turn a dull shade of blue-ish grey and Al hoped the Snitch would show itself soon – he hated playing in the dark.

He followed Morgan back towards the far end of the pitch, towards the Slytherin stands, and couldn't help but see Scorp's brilliant blond hair out of the corner of his eye. He turned to face him again and studied the look of concentration on his face as Scorp watched the Chasers below. He could feel his hands tighten around the end of his broom as he watched him, trying to keep the muscles in his back from twitching.

What the hell was happening to him? When had his whole world decided to summersault itself onto its back and mess everything up? He'd thought briefly about just being honest with everyone, but that idea had been shot down almost instantly when the image of Joanna's distraught face had entered his head, followed by the look of stunned disbelief and disgust on James' and disappointment on his mum and dad's. Not to mention the reaction of the rest of the school. What on earth would they think? What would they _say_? They'd probably kick him off the team or something… he'd lose his friends and his fans. So what could he do? As much as he hated to admit it, his feelings for Scorpius weren't just going to disappear, though it would probably be a lot easier if they would.

He wasn't sure what was going on at first when he felt a gust of wind rush past him, it was only when he turned to look that he realised Morgan was chasing the Snitch. His stomach plummeted. He leaned forward on his broom and took off after him, willing his Falcon to go faster, but Morgan was already so far in front. He pressed his chest against the shaft, keeping his chin flat against the handle, trying everything he could to get more speed, but it was already too late. Morgan's fingers closed around the golden ball and the crowed roared and cheered as the bell rang, signalling the end of the game. Slytherin had still won by ten points, but Al's hands were empty.

Morgan flew off back to join his team mates and Albus could see his own team watching him from over by the Hufflepuff stands. He suddenly felt very sick and instead of joining his team he just landed and instantly took off towards the castle, not stopping to look back, even when Michael called his name.

Something seemed to wash over him as he marched across the grass, something cold and sharp. It felt like someone had poured a glass of ice-cold water over his head and the stinging droplets were running down over his flushed and heated skin. It wasn't so much a thought as it was a feeling. A feeling of complete failure. He'd failed them. He'd failed everyone. He'd _never_ not caught the Snitch before. There had never been a game in which he wasn't the winner. He'd always been the one to hold the fluttering Snitch high and stand, victorious, as the crowed had showered him and his team with adoration and praise. But he'd failed. Another thing his life had just changed for him.

He felt hot tears sting cruelly at the corners of his eyes and he wiped them furiously away as he marched down the stairs and to the dungeons. He flung himself into the Common Room and up to the dormitory, throwing his Falcon across the room and watching as it clattered loudly to the floor. The room was silent after that and Albus just stood still for several moments, just staring blankly into the semi-darkness.

The door creaked and he frowned, wiping again at his eyes and turning to see Scorpius standing in the doorway. He let out a breath and lowered his head when he saw who it was.

Scorpius didn't move for a while, then stepped into the room and closed the door gently behind him. "Are you alright?" he asked, his voice low, as if talking loudly might offend. Albus almost chuckled at that, but he held it in, knowing he'd rather not explain to Scorp that it was only a chuckle of bitter irony. He simply licked his lips and nodded, lifting his gaze to meet Scorp's eyes.

"Yeah… just wasn't expecting that," he replied, honestly. "I… I've never missed the Snitch before." Just saying it made him feel horrible. A shudder ran down his spine and he clenched his jaw tightly.

Scorpius didn't reply right away, just nodded. Albus wasn't sure Scorpius could possibly understand, since this was about more than just a stupid Quidditch game.

"Do you want to go get a drink?" Scorpius finally asked, giving a small shrug. "We can sit in the kitchen if you don't want to be disturbed. The others will be back soon."

Albus stared at the ground and let out a sigh, giving a small nod. A drink sounded like a good idea, and he didn't particularly want to talk to his team mates at the moment.

Scorpius opened the door and Al followed as they made their way along to the kitchens. The House Elves didn't bother or question them as they entered and sat down, choosing instead of get out of their way, as if sensing Al wanted to be alone. The room remained silent for quite a number of minutes before Scorpius got up and retrieved a bottle of Ogden's Fire Whisky from a nearby cupboard and placed it on the table in front of Al. Albus almost grinned as he looked at the bottle, realising just how pathetic he must look if Scorpius was giving him permission to try and drink his problems away. He let out a small chuckle, a genuine one, as he picked up the bottle, pulled the cork from its neck and took a swig.

He nearly choked as it burned its way down to his stomach. He coughed and put the bottle back down, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand and pulling a face. "That's actually sort of disgusting," he said, giving a small grin. Scorpius grinned back.

"I think I saw some wine in there. Would you rather have that?"

Al nodded, feeling rather sheepish. "Yes please."

Drinking was one thing, he thought; burning his liver to cinders was quite another.

When the bottle was finished, Scorpius had had only one glass while Albus had had five. Albus was having a hard time keeping his thoughts straight, but he knew he was quite concerned about his Falcon. He'd thrown it awfully hard and it was his most prized possession, after all. Scorpius had been rather quiet throughout, while Al had rambled on about Quidditch in the hope of convincing Scorpius, and himself, that that's what the problem was. That that's what this whole thing had been about. And it had. Mostly.

Albus finished off the dregs, no bothering with a glass as he tipped the remnants of the wine into his mouth straight from the bottle. Some of it splashed onto his cheek and he wiped it off with his sleeve before putting the bottle back down and feeling the room sway around him.

"Tha' was better than the other stuff," Al said, talking more to the bottle than to anyone else. He sighed and slumped down in his seat, feeling the familiar tendrils of drunken depression coil themselves around his chest. He was aware enough to realise that's what was happening, but slightly too far gone to bother with pretending it wasn't. Scorpius put his empty glass down and Albus frowned as he caught sight of Scorp's fingers on the stem. Scorp's seat creaked as he moved and Albus let out a groan, burying his head in the crook of his elbow.

"What?" Scorpius asked, and Albus shook his head, grunting at him in response.

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, Albus," Scorpius snapped finally, and Albus looked up. "I'm fed up with this. You've been miserable for weeks; you're not doing your work, you're not concentrating, you're not talking to anyone. You missed the Snitch, Al. You never miss the Snitch. What the hell is wrong with you? And tell me the truth this time."

Albus couldn't help it. He burst out laughing.

Scorpius frowned. "What's so funny?"

Al shook his head, laughing to himself and propping his chin up in his hand. "Nothing is funny at all, actually," he said. "Everything is pretty rubbish."

The frown on Scorp's face was once again replaced with concern as he moved closer. "So tell me. Please. Al, I want to help."

Albus laughed again and buried his face in his hands, unsure exactly when his laughter had turned into something else. It was like a strange keening sound, and Albus wasn't aware it was him until he stopped. He was silent as he breathed heavily into his cupped palms, feeling like the entire contents of his chest had turned to lead. No one said anything for ages, then suddenly Albus wasn't sitting with his face in his hands anymore, but cupping Scorp's cheeks and kissing him wetly.

It was weird, kissing him. Weird mostly because it wasn't actually that weird. It felt pretty much like kissing a girl, except Scorp's lips felt sort of stiff and his skin wasn't the same and Albus didn't actually know what happened after that because the next thing he knew, he was lying face-first on the floor and Scorpius was on the other side of the room.

"What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?!" Scorpius shouted, his face red and his eyes wide.

Albus looked up, not even entirely sure how he'd ended up on the floor in the first place. He blinked and looked at Scorp for a while, confused, before realising what he'd done. He suddenly felt very, very ill, and he didn't think it was the alcohol. "Fuck…" He pushed himself unsteadily to his feet. "Shit, Scorp, I'm so sorry…"

"You can't do that," Scorp said, frowning. "You can't just treat me like some kind of guinea pig."

Al could see Scorp's hands shaking by his sides and the hurt and confusion flashing in his eyes. Al's pulse pounded inside his skull and he shook his head. "No, that wasn't…"

"You're not allowed to do that. You're not allowed to mess with my emotions like that. You're my best friend…"

Albus felt cornered. He shook his head again, more vigorously this time, trying to sort things out. "I wasn't…"

"You just did!" Scorpius interrupted, his eyes shining now with unshed tears. "You fucking kissed me! You're not allowed to _do_ that!"

Albus grasped desperately for something to say, but he couldn't think of anything. He shouldn't have done it, he knew that, there was no excuse for it, but he hadn't meant to hurt him. "Scorpius…" he took a step forward, banging his knee against the corner of the table, but Scorpius shook his head and walked towards the door. Al's heart leapt into his throat. "Scorp, please…"

"Don't…" Scorp said, and his voice was deadly calm. "Just… don't. Please."

Al could only watch as Scorpius left the room and closed the portrait behind him.

He stood for some time, staring at nothing in particular, before swaying on the spot and almost collapsing back into his chair. What could he do now?

He'd failed everyone.


	65. Chapter 65

Scorpius didn't come up to the dormitory that night. Albus checked periodically throughout the night, peering through a small gap in his drawn curtains. He hadn't slept; the slightest creak or rustle of sheets made his stomach clench and churn violently until he felt like he might be sick. His mouth felt like the bottom of a bird cage, but he daren't venture out from the safety of his bed, just in case he saw Scorpius. Or, more importantly, in case Scorpius saw _him_.

His nose also hurt from where he'd landed on it, and it was serving as a painful reminder of his stupidity. What had he been _thinking_?

He'd lain curled up all night, his head still spinning with the alcohol, fighting back tears and nausea as the reality of what he'd done hit him again and again, relentlessly, as if trying to shatter him into pieces. He'd ruined everything. He'd hurt Scorpius, he'd damaged their relationship, possibly beyond repair, and worst of all, he'd cheated on Joanna. This was not like him. None of the thoughts he'd had about the future had featured any of this. And why on Earth should they have? How could he have possibly predicted this would happen? It was insane. It made no sense. His life had been perfect up until now. He'd had everything he wanted. A proud, loving family, a beautiful girlfriend, the star position on his House's team and the best best-friend anybody could have ever asked for… and he'd ruined it. In a mere matter of _seconds_ he'd ruined it all.

His parents were going to be so disappointed, he just knew it. His team-mates would probably hate him. And Joanna… oh, Merlin… what on Earth was he going to say to Joanna? What _could_ he say? Should he even say anything? Some small part of him wanted to hang on to the hope he could still get things back on track; back to normal. Maybe Joanna would never have to know.

_But what about Scorpius?_

Lily's voice drifted through his brain like water vapour and Albus frowned. Why was it always Lily's voice?

He closed his eyes tight and rolled onto his stomach, fleetingly wondering how long it would take to suffocate if he just kept his face buried in his pillow. He turned his head to gasp for air after only several seconds, groaning in half-disappointment that he'd chickened out. Death would make everything so much easier to deal with, he thought. No more worries, no more obligations. It would be like a permanent summer holiday. But no… he didn't want to die. He didn't particularly want to deal with anything or anyone, either, but unfortunately that wasn't an option.

He had quite a _few_ things and several people to deal with. But where the hell did he start? He knew he didn't want anything made public yet, and despite feeling crushed, hurt and used, he didn't think Scorpius would be likely to run and tell people. So did he start with Scorpius, then? It made sense, since he was the one in the most immediate distress, but… what was he going to say? He didn't even know, himself, yet. He would apologise, of course, but then what?

_Sorry for kissing you, I didn't mean to hurt you. I won't do it again._

Or…

_Sorry for kissing you. It's just that I think I'm in love with you and I don't know what to do…_

Neither one was very appealing, because they both came with consequences he didn't want to think about. The first would be easier if he wanted to stay with Joanna and attempt to get things back to normal. However, it came with a big risk. Scorpius would probably feel utterly humiliated and used, and Albus didn't want that. It hadn't been _about_ that.

The second would mean the end of his relationship with Joanna. There was no way around that. If he admitted he loved Scorpius, actually admitted out-loud to Scorp's face, there was no way he could take it back. So what could he do?

He still loved Joanna dearly, and yet he couldn't deny that the time he'd been spending with her of late had dwindled slightly. She'd spent a lot of time studying and he'd spent a lot of time… well… with Scorpius. Still, the thought of breaking up with her, of telling her he'd fallen for someone else – and not only someone else, but _Scorpius_ – made his head spin.

None of this was helping in any way. All he was doing was finding reasons not to make a decision. He had to talk to Scorpius first, he knew that, so that's what he would do.

He lay staring at the dark curtains for the rest of the night, until the sound of movement around the room told him it was morning.

He didn't want to move. Perhaps he just wouldn't? His head wasn't pounding as he'd expected it to after the previous night's drinking, but he still felt sick. He grudgingly pushed himself up and peered through the gap in his curtains again. Scorp's bed was still empty; still neatly made with sheets undisturbed. Al wasn't sure whether to be worried or relieved. Scorpius was much too sensible to have done anything stupid, but where was he?

He pushed open his curtains and got out of bed, looking around the room just to make sure Scorp wasn't there. Jeremiah turned to look at him and raised an eyebrow as he pulled on a cardigan. "Where did you get to yesterday?" he asked. "Your Gryffindor was looking for you."

Al's whole body seemed to crumple at that, and he sank back down onto his bed, fighting the urge to bury his face in his hands. "Around," he said, shrugging and staring at the stone floor. "Got some food and had a walk."

"Well," Jeremiah went on. "You missed a good party. We had a bonfire by the lake. You'd have liked it."

Al chuckled bitterly, not looking up. He'd probably have preferred it to what _had_ happened last night.

Jeremiah shrugged. "Anyway, I'm off. See you later."

Al gave him only the briefest glance as he slung his bag over his shoulder and left.

He sat quietly for a while, until the room had emptied, staring at the floor until his vision swam. He could very easily have slipped back into bed and stayed there all day, it was incredibly tempting, but his conscience pinched and poked and prodded at him until he pushed himself back up and got washed and dressed. He had to go and find Scorpius.

He felt himself physically shaking as he made his way along the dungeons and up the stairs. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing on end and his palms felt hot and clammy. He'd like to have put it down to some sort of fever but he knew it was fear. He got as far as the entrance hall before realising that he had no idea where Scorpius actually _was_. He poked his head into the Great Hall and scanned the Slytherin table, but there was no sign of him. Mike looked up from his breakfast and waved him over, but Albus quickly ducked back out of the hall and turned to make his way to the library. He didn't have time to talk to anybody else. He didn't want to get caught chatting to Mike about yesterday's game, or to Jeremiah about his lack of concentration. If he let himself get distracted now he knew he'd lose his nerve and he couldn't afford to do that.

He'd nearly made it up the first flight of stairs before…

"Al!"

Albus felt his heart freeze in his chest. He closed his eyes and took a deep, deep breath before turning to face Joanna.

She was smiling, but she looked mildly concerned. She walked towards him and Al had to fight the urge to back away.

"Where did you go yesterday?" she asked, softly. "I was worried about you."

Al could feel his breathing speed up and he tried to hide it by taking deeper breaths. "Just wasn't feeling up to celebrating," he said, and it was at least truthful.

_Please go away, Jo._

She climbed the stairs until she was just one below him and her smile brightened slightly, though Al could still see the concern in her eyes. He tried to move back on his step until his heel was pressed against the next one. He couldn't move now unless he very deliberately took a step up, and that would look awful. He felt like a trapped animal. Joanna reached up and took his hand and Albus heart started hammering in his ears.

"Are you joining us for breakfast?"

Al's mind raced. He could feel resolve crumbling and he needed to get away. "Uh…" he said suddenly, groping for something to say. "I have to go. I have… something…"

"What's wrong?" Jo asked, and her smile faded completely as Al pulled his hand from hers.

Al shook his head. "It's nothing," he replied, and this time he did move up a step. "It's just…" He couldn't think of a decent excuse. Joanna looked confused and hurt and Albus felt sick all over again. He gave her a weak smile and leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. "I'll see you later, okay?"

He didn't wait for an answer as he spun on his heel and all but ran up the rest of the stairs and along the corridor to the library. God… what was he doing?

He was a horrible, horrible person.


	66. Chapter 66

Scorpius had spent the night in his usual darkened corner of the Common Room, having moved several large piles of books in front of his chair to hide himself completely from all other occupants. It had worked well enough; nobody had spoken to him or even sought him out, which he was grateful for. He didn't want to talk to anyone right now. He didn't want to be around anyone right now. Least of all Albus Potter. He could feel his face burn at just the thought of his name. He gripped his quill tightly between thumb and forefinger and turned the page in his text book.

He hadn't slept; how could he possibly have slept after what had happened? It had taken every fibre in his body to keep him from screaming and cursing his way through the night. He couldn't find the words to describe exactly what he was feeling, but it was like a crushing lead weight pressing down on his entire body. Every part of him ached - even places he didn't think it was possible to ache. The empty spaces between his organs ached. His blood ached. His _nails_ ached. Everything ached.

He was aware of how physically exhausted and tired he was, his eyes stung every time he blinked and concentrating was proving increasingly difficult, but he wasn't going to move. He couldn't. This place was safe for him. Away from people, away from confrontation, away from Al. That's all that mattered right now; being away from Al. He didn't know what he'd say to him if he saw him, all he knew was that he'd rather not find out.

Scorpius was beyond thankful that it was Saturday. It meant he didn't have to miss classes in order to avoid Albus. His work shouldn't suffer just because Al had decided to fuck everything up. And it meant he could study; he had time to do something other than fight back angry, stinging tears all night and wallow bitterly in his own misery. He hated not being productive. He hated letting things get in his way. He had to study. He had homework to hand in for Wednesday morning and it wasn't finished.

He sniffed and read through several paragraphs of text about the evolution of magic before realising that all the words were just running together. He sighed and closed his eyes briefly, feeling them water as the movement of his eyelids against his eyeballs shot a nasty stinging pain right through his skull. He rubbed at them, wiping the moisture from his lashes and staring blankly down at his parchment. He'd barely written a thing and, in truth, he couldn't even remember what he was supposed to writing, anyway. His body was begging for relief; he was tired, he was drained, his back hurt and sitting upright had become hard work. He was half tempted to just rest his head on his arms and sleep at the table as he was. But he couldn't. As much as his body needed the rest, he didn't think he mind would let him have it. He needed the distraction of study to keep his thoughts from once again wandering back to the events of the previous night.

Merlin, but he was tired.

He closed his eyes again, wincing past the sting and hiding his face in his hands to block out any remaining light. He could feel his body drifting, as if his chair had turned into a cloud and taken off with him still on it. It was a rather relaxing feeling, but it didn't last long. It wasn't that he heard him, more that he sensed a movement behind him and instantly knew what it was.

"Scorp…?"

Al's voice was so quiet it was barely audible, but it was enough. The floaty feeling was gone, and Scorpius opened his eyes, removing the hands from his face.

"Go away, Albus."

His reply was just as quiet, but clipped and short. He didn't want to talk to him now. He heard the rustle of fabric as Albus moved closer and came to stand beside him. Scorp's back tensed painfully.

"Scorp, I'm sorry," Al went on, keeping his voice low. "I was stupid yesterday. I know I hurt you and I didn't mean to do."

Scorpius could feel something hot and nasty bubbling away in the back of his brain. "Please go away," he said, trying to keep the tremor from his voice as he spoke. He didn't think he could trust himself not to explode if Albus didn't leave him alone and he didn't want to do that. Not with other people in the room.

Albus shook his head. "No. I need to say this, because if I don't say it now then everything will be ruined and I might not get a chance to say it again."

Scorpius could hear the fear and panic in Al's voice, but he refused to look at him, the hot bubbling thing in his head getting bigger and bigger. He could feel his face burning red and he reached out to pick up his quill. Maybe if he looked busy Albus would get the message. "I'm trying to work," he said, as sternly and as coolly as he could manage "Please go away."

"I know how it must have seemed last night," Albus continued, as if he hadn't heard Scorpius at all. "I know you thought I was using you or something, or… or experimenting, but…"

Scorpius turned to Albus, eyes narrowed, feeling his chest burn. "I don't care, Albus," he said, unable to keep the anger and venom from his voice. "I don't care what excuses you have. I don't care how drunk you were. There is nothing you can say that will make this any better. You know how I feel about you… you _must_ have known how much that would hurt me. But you're selfish, Al… you've always been selfish."

Scorpius stopped and took a breath. He could feel the anger draining as he looked at Al's face, and he almost regretted the last part… but it was true. As much as he had always been able to overlook it in the past, it was true. He turned back to the desk and once again stared down at his book. "I just didn't think you'd ever be that selfish with me."

There was a silence for a while and Scorpius once again found himself wishing Albus would leave him alone. He continued to stare down at his book, refusing to move. He didn't want to look at Albus; he didn't think he would be able to bear the look of pain he _knew_ would be on Al's face, and he hated himself for once again being more concerned with Al's feelings than his own.

"Scorpius…" Al began, nervously, lowering his voice even further. Scorp opened his mouth to reply but Albus didn't let him. "Scorpius, I… I think I'm in love with you."

It was several long moments before Scorpius realised he wasn't breathing. The words seemed to linger in the air like an echo and the rush of oxygen into his lungs when he finally remembered to breathe felt like ice. His whole body froze and all the hairs on his arms stood on end. It took everything he had to turn his head in Al's direction.

"What?" he asked, his voice suddenly scratchy and barely there. His body felt incredibly strange and his heart had suddenly started pounding rapidly in his chest. Clearly he was more sleep deprived than he'd thought because it sounded like Albus had just said…

"I think… I think I'm in love with you."

Scorpius could see the quill in his hand shaking out of the corner of his eye and he put it down, clenching his hand into a tight ball. He shook his head, finding that his brain was having trouble making total sense of the sudden change in situation. "No you're not…" he said, frowning and looking down at the floor.

Al's face appeared in his line of vision as Al crouched down in front of him. Scorpius almost wanted to move away, get some distance between them, since this was clearly some kind of malicious game, but he couldn't move. He was frozen to the spot. He shook his head again. "Al, please don't," he pleaded, and he could feel everything falling apart; Albus wasn't meant to be doing this. If Albus had come to find him then surely it was to apologise and promise that it would never happen again? This wasn't supposed to be happening. Al was his friend. Al would always be his friend – he'd come to terms with this. _That's_ how things were meant to be. _That's_ how the situation was meant to work.

This made no sense.

"You wanted to know what was bothering me?" Al asked, and Scorpius shook his head despite himself. "_This, _Scorp. This was. I'm sorry I kissed you last night, but I swear I didn't do it to hurt you. I have no idea what to do about this, Scorp and I'm fucking terrified I've messed everything up."

Scorpius didn't know who was _more_ terrified, him or Albus. He looked him in the eye and saw his own fear reflected clearly back at him. Al was obviously distressed and Scorpius realised that in order for this conversation to make any sense, someone was going to have to take control of it. Still shaking slightly, he broke Al's gaze and took several minutes to try and regain some sort of composure. Not that he felt in any way composed. His whole body was trembling and his palms were damp, but he couldn't let this get the better of him. Not again. Not after last night.

He took a deep breath. "What about Joanna?" he asked, trying to sound matter-of-fact while his stomach performed nauseating somersaults.

"Fucking hell, Scorp, I don't know." Al shook his head and moved back, sounding as if that was the last thing he wanted to be talking about. Scorpius turned to him again, trying to keep the scowl from his face.

"She's your girlfriend, Al," he said, sharply. "I'd say that was your first priority."

Albus sighed despairingly and moved to sit cross-legged on the floor. Scorpius watched as Al buried his face in his hands and shook his head. Every part of his body was tingling with a new set of confused emotions and he didn't like it. Right now, cold, hard cynicism was the dominant one, but only because it was safer than hope. He couldn't allow himself to hope. Not yet.

He _wanted_ to though. He really did. It was almost painful how badly he wanted to hope.

"I don't know what to do," came Al's muffled voice from behind his hands. He raised his head and parted his fingers, looking at Scorpius with wide, lost eyes.

Scorpius looked at him, at his big, pathetic green eyes, and felt a lump rise in his throat. Pity - that was another emotion he was feeling. He wanted to reach out and stroke Al's hair, tell him it was alright, but it wasn't, was it?. And there was another emotion in there, too; Hurt. Because if Albus was truly in love with him, why wasn't it _obvious_ what he should do? That hard shield of detached cynicism came down around Scorpius like wall and he let out a long, deep breath. "Well… you'll have to figure it out, then, won't you?"

A look of shock appeared on Al's face, but that wasn't what hurt Scorpius the most. It was the look of pained acceptance that replaced it that felt like a knife in Scorp's gut. He felt his chest constrict and turned back to his book, feeling his eyes water and not daring to pick up his quill lest Albus see how badly he was still shaking. "I need to get on with my work, now," he said, suddenly feeling quite ill.

He kept his eyes on the book, and after what seemed like hours, Albus finally got to his feet and left him to it.


	67. Chapter 67

Albus didn't know how long he'd been aimlessly wandering the corridors. He hadn't noticed himself walking up the stairs and along countless empty hallways. People passing him by hardly registered in his mind and his brain felt like it had turned into liquid and was currently sloshing uselessly around inside his skull. Everything was a mess.

He hadn't actually known what sort of reaction to expect when he'd gone to Scorpius. In fact, he hadn't actually known he was going to confess until he'd done it. He wasn't entirely sure if he _should_ have done it, but he had, and there was no going back - even if he wanted to. Did he want to? Scorpius' reaction had been extremely unhelpful, Albus thought, which was both maddening and gut-wrenchingly painful in equal measure. Had Scorpius told him to choose, or was that just his own conscience pushing the matter? Because that's what it came down to, really, didn't it? One or the other. Either way, he was going to have to hurt someone and he wasn't looking forward to that at all.

When he finally looked up he was both shocked and slightly terrified to find that he was on his way to Gryffindor Tower. He'd walked the route many times and he knew exactly where he was going. He stopped dead in his tracks and his whole body seemed to freeze. He'd been walking without thinking and _this_ is where his feet had lead him? He felt his throat constrict and he took a deep breath, trying to clear his mind enough to think what his next move should be. There was clearly a reason he was here, he knew that; his feet would not have lead him here for nothing. But what was he supposed to do? He hadn't even sorted out how _he _felt yet. There was no way he could involve Joanna in this until he'd made a decision.

He stood staring at the spiral staircase for a while, then turned and made his way back along the corridor, finding that his pace had quickened somewhat. His heart was beating rapidly in his chest as he walked and he could feel his temples throb in time with it. He wiped his clammy hands on his jeans and didn't slow his pace until he was back in the Entrance Hall. He leaned against a wall and let out a shaky breath, suddenly realising that his whole body was trembling. Fear - that's what it was. He identified it straight away and it made him feel nauseous. He was _afraid_ of seeing Joanna. His _girlfriend_. He'd never been afraid of seeing her before. He'd never been afraid of seeing _anyone_ before.

He looked down at his shoes and tried to regain control of his shaking limbs. What was happening to him? What was he doing? Why was this so hard? Surely this kind of thing should be easy? All he had to do was make a decision. One or the other, right? So why couldn't he?

He frowned and clenched his jaw, angry at his brain for not giving him an answer. Angry at Scorpius for not making things easy. Angry at Joanna for… for… well… just for being there. Just for existing. And that was horrible, he knew it was horrible, but he couldn't help it. Neither of them were making this easy, and this was _their_ fault!

A group of Ravenclaws emerged from the Great Hall and Albus snapped out of his uncomfortable reverie. He watched them as they made their way up the stairs to the first floor and part of him wondered if maybe he could just follow them and be one of them for a day. Just to be somewhere else. It was tempting. He could borrow a Ravenclaw robe from someone, he was sure. Just walk into their Common Room and be one of them for a while. He wouldn't come out and nobody would know where he was. It would be perfect.

Then the group of Ravenclaws rounded a corner and Albus' daydream collapsed. He frowned at himself. It was a stupid idea, anyway.

There wasn't really anywhere for him to go, though. He couldn't go back to the Common Room, Scorpius was there and he'd not made a decision yet. How could he go to Scorpius without having made one? Part of him wanted to beg Scorpius to forget he'd said anything at all, but he knew that wasn't a possibility. He sighed and pushed himself away from the wall, making his way back up the stairs and along to the library. It was quiet in there; perhaps he'd be able to do some thinking.

He kept his eyes on the floor as he walked, letting his legs guide him, finding he rather liked not having to think about that, at least. Several people passed him in the hallway and he ignored them, concentrating instead on the mess of thoughts churning round and round inside his head. He could feel the beginnings of a headache coming on and he just hoped the library's quiet solitude would offer him some relief.

He pushed open the library doors and stepped inside, thankful that it didn't seem terribly busy today. He found a seat in a small alcove at the back of the room, almost completely cut off from the rest of the hall by a large bookcase, and sat.

One or the other; that was the one thought out of all the mangled thoughts running wild in his brain that was clear. He wished it didn't sound as harsh and clean-cut as it did, but that's what it boiled down to. He couldn't have both. Now that he'd let Scorpius know about his feelings, there was no way he could keep them both as he had done. If he chose Scorpius, he would lose Joanna. If he kept Joanna, he would lose Scorpius. It really was as annoyingly poetic as that, because if he chose Joanna, things between him and Scorpius would never be the same again. Neither of them could go back to being just friends with the knowledge of their shared feelings hanging over them like that. It would be the end of their friendship. And yet… if he chose Scorpius… how could he even know it would work? He'd never had romantic thoughts about another boy before… how could he be sure anything between them wouldn't just be awkward and weird?

Scorpius would want to kiss him. Kissing he was alright with… he was pretty sure he'd come to terms with that. After all, he'd been the one to kiss Scorpius, but… what if Scorpius wanted more? Albus kicked himself, of _course_ Scorpius would want more, or what kind of relationship would it be? Al had no idea if he would be able to do that; apart from his brother and his team mates, he'd never even _looked _at another man's cock before. He guessed it wouldn't feel too different than his own, but still… that wasn't the point. There were things he'd have to think about; things he'd have to change and get used to, but change was a terrifying prospect.

He buried his face in his hands and slumped forward over the table, trying to pick out the coherent pieces of his thought process and put them together in some sort of logical order. Either choice would mean a loss, it was just a matter of deciding which one was greater. It hurt his brain when he tried to imagine not loving one of them, so he refused to pursue that line of thought. They were both important to him and losing either one was going to be painful. He groaned piteously into his hands.

If he chose Joanna, would it be because of his fear of change? Would it just be the easy option because it was safe? Would he be potentially risking his happiness for the sake of security? And did he want that?

But then again, if he chose Scorpius, would it just be out of desperation not to lose his best friend? Would he be throwing away a wonderful partner just so he could keep hold of his friendship? And which was more important, anyway?

It didn't even matter if Joanna found out at this stage, anyway, because the ultimatum was already on the table. One or the other, that's all there was to it.

Al sighed and tried to will himself to become part of the table. When that didn't work, he sat up and rubbed his eyes, staring at the wall in concentration for a few minutes. He had to go and find Joanna. He had to see her, and hold her, and kiss her, and smell her… he had to know if he could let her go. Because if he couldn't… he shook his head; he wasn't going to think about that.

With a deep breath, he turned and made his way towards Gryffindor Tower.


	68. Chapter 68

Albus could feel every muscle in his body twitch as he walked. His fingers kept curling themselves into fists of their own volition and his back kept seizing up and making his shoulders ache. His legs carried him steadily, though, and he almost wished they wouldn't. It would be so very convenient if he couldn't do it because his legs had given way on him; that way it wouldn't be his fault at all if he just curled up into a ball and let the world carry on as normal around him. But they didn't… his legs were the only part of his body not revolting against what he was doing. Even his brain was telling him to turn back, to run away, but in his heart he knew it was already too late for that. He was walking along the corridor to Gryffindor Tower and he couldn't turn back twice. He felt his heart leap into his throat as he placed his foot on the first step, but he didn't stop to pause or catch his breath. There was something he had to do, and he had to do it now.

He ascended the long spiral staircase, trying to swallow his heart back down into his chest, as he was finding it rather difficult to breathe. The stairs seemed to end much quicker than they had before and Albus found himself slowing as the landing came in to view. He had nothing planned, no speech or explanation. He thought it best that way. He didn't want this rehearsed, or to feel planned, because this choice, this decision… it had to be based on real emotion, not some forced idea of what he _should_ be doing. His legs carried him along the landing and finally stopped him when he was before the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Mr. Potter," the portrait sighed, rolling her eyes at him. "I believe we have spoken about this before, have we not?"

Albus swallowed. "I need to see Joanna," he said, and was surprised at how small he sounded. From the looks of it, so was the Fat Lady.

"Are you quite alright, child?" she asked. "You look quite pale. Do you have the fever?"

Albus shook his head. "No, I just need to see Joanna. It's important."

The Fat Lady sighed again. "Well, you know the rules. I'm afraid I can't let you in without a password or an invitation by a member of Gryffindor House. You'll just have to wait and see her another time."

Albus wasn't sure if this was a good or a bad thing. Part of him wanted to turn around and leave and blame it all on the Fat Lady; it was _her_ fault he couldn't get in, and therefore it would be _her_ fault that he hadn't been able to make a decision. The other half of him, though, knew that was the coward's way out. He closed his eyes and bowed his head, taking a deep breath before looking up again and doing the only thing he could think of to do. He stepped up to the portrait and raised a fist and banged repeatedly on the canvas. The Fat Lady only just managed to move out of the way and started shrieking at him to stop. The portrait swung open after several seconds and Lily's annoyed face appeared in its place.

"What on _earth_ are you doing?" she asked, glaring at him. "People are trying to work in here!"

"Is Jo here?" Al asked, ignoring Lily's complaint completely. He looked over her shoulder for any sign of Joanna and caught sight of her sitting on the bottom step of the staircase leading up to the girl's dormitories. Without waiting to be invited in, Albus made his way past Lily and over to the steps. Joanna looked up from her book, as did her friend, Sarah.

"Albus," she said, smiling. "Hi. What are you doing here?"

Albus looked awkwardly at Sarah, whose eyes were ever so slightly narrowed – he'd never liked her – before turning back to Jo. "Can… can I talk to you?" he asked. "Alone?"

Joanna looked at Sarah, then closed her book, standing up. "Sure. Want to come up to the dorm? I'll tell the others to leave us alone for a bit, if you want?"

Albus nodded silently and followed her, feeling like a flock of large birds were performing acrobatics in his stomach. His feet seemed to become heavier and heavier with every step and he found he was no longer able to hang on to anything in his head. He just followed, allowing his body to move without thought, until they reached Joanna's dormitory.

She closed the door behind him and smiled, and Albus felt his gut twist viciously.

"So… what did you want to talk about?" she asked, moving from the door to sit down on the edge of her bed. She patted the mattress signalling for Albus to join her, so he did, feeling his muscles twitch and spasm again as he moved. He felt the mattress sink under his weight and stared down at Joanna's knee, trying to ignore the smell of fruit and flowers coming from her hair. She was looking at him, he could tell, but he kept his eyes on her knee, swallowing deeply and trying to slow his heartbeat down to something at least resembling normal.

"Joanna, I…" he began, fisting the sheets either side of his thighs. "I wanted to… to tell you something…"

Albus could _feel_ Joanna's smile falter, he didn't even need to see it. He felt his heart skip a beat as she moved closer. "What?" she asked, her voice now much softer. Albus was sure she'd be able to feel the bed shaking, but she said nothing. There was a silence, and Al could tell she was waiting for an answer. With a sigh, he lifted his gazed and just looked into her eyes, staring silently for a moment before leaning in without a word and kissing her on the lips.

He could feel her smile as she kissed back and it made his chest ache. Even so, he didn't stop. His hands were stilled clenched in the sheets, even as he felt her slide her fingers affectionately through his hair, and he closed his eyes. He had no idea if this was right or fair… he had no idea if he was using her or testing himself… none of it was clear, and yet he knew he needed to do it… no matter what it ended up being. The kiss deepened, and Albus allowed himself to be pulled further onto the bed, once again allowing his body to work under its own will and not that of his mind. He let go of the sheets, feeling the sweat on his palms as he reached up and tentatively, almost reluctantly put his hands on Joanna's waist.

He allowed her to tug at his t-shirt, and didn't stop her as she pulled it up and over his head, but his throat was tight and his back was stiff and he couldn't think of anything. She pulled off her own t-shirt and removed her bra and Albus felt like he might black out any minute. What was he doing? Why hadn't he stopped her? He didn't know what to do.

He didn't protest or resist when she removed the rest of their clothes, and he even placed his hand on hers as she stroked him to full hardness. He buried his face in her hair and neck as they had sex and was glad that she didn't notice the moisture in his eyes. Because it was then that he knew…

She smiled as they redressed and kissed him on the cheek. Albus felt his chest tighten and he stiffened when she hugged him. He smiled back, weakly and ran a sweaty hand awkwardly through his hair. "I… uh… I have to get going," he said, trying to sound as upbeat as he could. "I'll see you later, I guess…"

He smiled again and made his way from the dormitory, not waiting for Joanna to reply. He didn't think he would be able to keep his resolve intact if he stayed. He made his way quickly down the long spiral staircase and back to the safety of the library, where he slunk back to his little alcove and buried his face in the crook of his elbow.

He couldn't help but feel slightly sick at when he'd done. He'd gone up there to talk to her, and instead he'd… well… he'd probably just made things worse, because now the decision had been made and he had no idea what to do next.


	69. Chapter 69

Scorpius had tried everything; studying, sleeping, reading, walking, pacing, writing, counting to five thousand… nothing had worked. He'd tried staying in class after hours to practice his potion-making, much to the bafflement of Professor Strock, and he'd even taken to asking if there was anything else he could help the Professors with out of school hours. Nothing helped. It was almost as if the more he tried _not_ to think about his current situation, the more heavily it weighed on his mind. It would, of course, have been so much easier if he didn't have to see Albus every day but there was no avoiding that. They hadn't sat together in class or at mealtimes since Al's confession the week before and as much as Scorpius wished he could remain angry enough to make the distance bearable, he found he just couldn't. And it was made all the worse by the reason _behind_ the rift.

The desire to abandon his principals came in periodic waves, and sometimes he found it hard not to throw his integrity to the wind and just say 'oh, to hell with these damn sensibilities.' He couldn't, though. He knew that. He didn't think he would ever be able to forgive himself if he pushed Albus to reach some sort of forced decision. That's not what he wanted, and after months and months of restraint he could at least wait a little while longer. It was all now just a matter of what conclusion Albus would come to, and that wasn't a terribly pleasant thought.

He sighed as he continued to stare blankly out of the large library window. His hand had gone slack and the quill in his fingers was in danger of slipping out of his grasp entirely. It was only the sound of Malcolm calling his name that seemed to snap him out of his trance-like contemplation.

"Are you alright?" Malcolm asked, leaning forward and looking slightly concerned.

Scorpius shook himself and gave Malcolm a weak smile. "I'm fine. Why?"

"Well, I just had to call you four times before you heard me. Are you sure you're okay? You've been kind of spacey all afternoon."

Scorpius sighed and looked down at his near-blank piece of parchment. He'd hardly written two sentences in the two and a half hours they'd been here and he was obviously doing a very bad job of hiding his emotions. It hardly seemed fair to Malcolm to have to study with a gormless mute for the whole day. He shrugged and tried to force another smile, but he could tell it wasn't quite reaching his eyes. "Just got a lot on my mind, lately," he said, trying to brush it off. It wasn't anything he needed to burden Malcolm with, and he wasn't even sure he was ready to talk about it, anyway. It seemed safer just to keep it to himself.

Malcolm put his quill down and leaned forward on his crossed arms. "Like what?" he asked, giving Scorpius a small smile. Scorpius just shook his head and shrugged.

"Nothing important," he replied. "Just… nothing." He picked his quill back up and pulled his textbook closer, reading and re-reading the same few paragraphs tensely until he felt Malcolm return his gaze to his own book. He let out a small, silent breath and let his eyes slide lazily over a sentence about the importance of the number seven in Alchemy, having completely forgotten the context in which the sentence was rooted. He looked down at his own parchment and was both confused and surprised to find the word '_Al_' scrawled messily at the end of his last sentence. He frowned; this really was getting in the way. Studying was his tried and tested method for putting unwanted thoughts from his mind for a few hours… now he couldn't even do that.

He felt his hands clench into fists and he quickly put his quill back in its inkpot to keep from snapping it in half.

He looked sideways at Malcolm who was taking down notes and writing diligently, and sighed again. It wouldn't be right to talk to him about this; not only because it wasn't his place to go around blabbing Al's business to people, but also because… well… as nice as Malcolm was, he was still a fairly new friend, and Scorpius couldn't be sure yet how much he could trust him – especially with a secret like this. It was one thing people finding out about him having feelings for Al, but it would be quite another for people to find out that Albus had feelings for _him_.

It wasn't nice, though, knowing he had no one to confide in. He supposed he could talk to Lily Potter, but she was Al's sister… she would, of course, have a strong bias towards her brother. How could he be sure she wouldn't just run to Al with everything he'd told her? No, she was too heavily linked to Al… if he was going to talk to anyone it would have to be someone completely neutral.

Once again it was Malcolm's voice that caught his attention.

"Scorpius? Hello?"

Scorpius blinked and felt his face flush with embarrassment. He could only imagine how stupid he must look; Malcolm probably thought he was losing his mind. "Sorry," he said, grasping for his quill and nearly knocking the inkwell over. "Just… I'm sorry. My brain isn't…"

"Do you want to talk about something?" Malcolm asked, once again looking concerned. Scorpius hated that look… it meant people could read him too well. He shook his head, smudging the ink on his parchment and staining the sleeve of his shirt as he hurried to take down notes. He could feel Malcolm's eyes on him as he wrote and he tried to ignore them, but he could almost feel his skin burning under the scrutiny, and eventually he threw down his quill and sighed.

He turned to Malcolm, who looked almost expectant, and felt his shoulders sag.

"Alright... it's about Albus."

"What about him?" Malcolm asked, and Scorpius felt something in his mind attempting to shut him up. He was taking a risk, here, but he thought he just might go insane if he didn't tell _someone_.

"I… someone… I…" Scorpius scowled at himself and sighed again. "He told me he might be in love with someone. But he's going out with Joanna and he's not sure what to do. I told him… I told him he has to decide what he wants before he can pursue anything with this new person."

Malcolm nodded. "Well, that sounds reasonable."

"Well, yes… but I don't know what he's going to decide and either way someone is going to end up hurt and…"

He must have sounded frantic, because Malcolm held up his hands as if to calm him down. Scorpius took a breath, feeling the muscles in his back twitch as he dug his fingernails into the flesh of his palms.

"Scorpius…" Malcolm began, and his voice was hushed now. "You can tell me to shut up if I'm being presumptuous or something, but… is this 'someone' you?"

Scorpius had to resist the urge to flee the room and he could feel his cheeks burn. He didn't say anything, just nodded silently, looking down at the table and wishing the floor would just open up and swallow him whole. Neither of them spoke for a while and Scorpius was just about to hurriedly collect his books and leave when Malcolm shrugged.

"Well, I'm not going to judge you, if that's what you're worried about."

Scorpius looked up at him, almost reluctantly, still feeling his muscles twitching uncomfortably.

"I mean… that's not really what I was expecting, but it's okay."

Scorpius was relieved to see a small, friendly smile playing on Malcolm's lips. It made him feel less sick, anyway.

"You won't tell anyone?" he asked. Malcolm shook his head.

"Of course not."

Scorpius nodded and let out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding. "Thank you. I just… I needed to tell someone. I won't mention it again though if you don't want to hear it."

"You can talk about it," Malcolm said, then grinned. "If it means you'll actually get some work done."

Scorpius felt himself smile slightly at that and found that his chest did feel somewhat lighter. Obviously this wasn't going to make the issue go away, but at least now he had someone to talk to, and that was something.


	70. Chapter 70

Albus had spent the last week hiding himself away and secluded corners or alcoves, avoiding contact with as many people as possible. Professor Longbottom had taken him aside after Herbology and asked what was wrong, but Albus couldn't tell him. What good would it do? He wouldn't be able to solve anything. He just hoped Longbottom didn't write to his parents. The last thing he needed was his mum and dad getting involved. He could just imagine the look on his mum's face if she found out.

He'd simply given the Professor as reassuring a smile as he could manage and shrugged it off. Blamed it on his missed snitch from the game several weeks ago and left with an empty promise to cheer up and smile a bit more. Of course, it hadn't helped in the slightest.

Sitting several tables away from Scorpius in Potions and trying not to stare was the hardest. Even harder than having to sit next to Joanna during Herbology and act as if nothing was wrong. He hadn't done a very good job of it, though. Joanna knew something was up, Al could tell. It would only be a matter of time before she started asking questions beyond the usual 'are you alright?' and Albus still didn't know what he was going to say. He kept telling himself he should write something down - rehearse something so that he could tell her the truth in the kindest, least hurtful way possible - but every time he sat down to think, his mind would go blank. He was sure the little men inside his head were doing this on purpose.

It was equally painful watching the way Scorpius tried just as hard not to turn and look at him. He could see the stiffness in Scorp's neck, the way he very purposefully kept his head turned towards the front of the class. Al had very nearly received detention at one point for adding his potions ingredients to the wrong cauldron and nearly blowing up Timothy Stickleback. Timothy had thankfully left the class with only a pair of missing eyebrows and a black face, and Albus had received a stern talking-to from Professor Strock.

Nothing seemed to be functioning properly for Albus. Least of all his brain.

He made his way once again to the library and slunk over to his alcove at the back of the hall. He'd been spending a lot of time here, mostly staring blankly at the wall while he tried to think what to do. When the library was too full, he would go and find a deserted corridor down in the dungeons or even shut himself away in the kitchens. Anywhere to just be away from people. Thankfully the library was quiet today, with only two small tables of Gryffindors studying over by the front desk.

He slipped quietly into his chair and slid down on it until his chin was almost level with the edge of the table. He could feel his brain trying to work, trying once again to come up with a solution, but it was like a stuck record. Every time he sat down to think, it was the same thing, and every time he tried to focus on something, it would slip further out of reach. It was infuriating.

And his problems didn't even stop at Joanna. Even if he managed to talk to her without the world imploding he still had the issue of what to say to Scorpius. How did he even begin to approach that? He hadn't spoken to Scorpius at all for almost two weeks – he didn't even know if Scorpius still cared. Well… of course Scorpius still cared… Albus had seen him at mealtimes and in class. He looked every bit as miserable as Albus felt. He reminded himself that Scorpius had felt this way about him for a long time, now, and those feelings weren't likely to just disappear. But even with that knowledge, he still had no idea what to say once the deed was done. His brain was going to have to start cooperating soon if he was going to do anything, otherwise he would likely be doomed to walk the corridors of the school aimlessly, avoiding everyone until they all left.

He was so busy wallowing that he didn't hear anyone approach. Indeed, he was so busy wallowing that he didn't hear them call his name the first time, either. It was only when they came closer and he caught the scent of fruit in their hair that he realised it was Joanna. His stomach clenched, and his back went stiff, before everything seemed to relax again all at once. He sat up in his chair, staring down at the table in front of him. Jo pulled out the chair beside him and sat down.

"Al," she said, and Al could feel the question hovering over them like a vulture circling a dying animal. He didn't turn to look at her as she continued. "Can we talk?"

Al didn't say anything, just nodded, keeping his eyes on the table. Joanna moved a little closer and pulled a strand of hair out of her eyes.

"What's going on with us?" she asked, and Albus bit into the inside of his lip, wincing silently as he cut into the skin. "We've hardly spent any time together since Christmas. You wrote to me _once_ over the holidays and that was only to wish me a Merry Christmas. Since we've been back it's like you haven't had any time for me and that time last week, when we… I could tell you weren't completely there. What's wrong?"

Albus took a breath, feeling like he could quite happily just melt into the floor and never re-emerge ever gain. He could feel Joanna's eyes on him and he could see her out of the corner of his own. He knew now was the time, but that didn't make it any less sickeningly difficult. He turned to her for a moment, looking into her big, brown, worried eyes, before returning his gaze to the table. In his mind he had an image of himself standing on the window ledge of the Astronomy Tower and with a final deep breath, he jumped.

"I… I think we should break up," he said, and his voice was much hoarser than he'd expected.

"W-what?" Joanna asked, sounding as if she hadn't expected that at all. She probably hadn't. Albus felt his stomach plummet.

"I just…" He tried to think of something to say that didn't sound hurtful or ridiculous. "I don't think it's working, anymore. I'm sorry."

There was an awful, gut-churning silence that seemed to go on forever, then Joanna sniffed and Albus felt like he might throw up.

"I thought… I thought you loved me," she said. Albus felt his body tense all over again and he clenched his hands into fists under the table. He did, he just… loved Scorpius more. He couldn't tell her that, though. There wasn't really anything he _could_ tell her.

"I'm sorry," he repeated, helplessly.

Joanna didn't move, just sat in her chair looking at him, as if waiting for something more. Albus didn't know what to say.

"Do you love someone else?" she asked eventually. Albus just stared down at the table, not daring to look her in the eye.

"Is it Scorpius?"

Al felt his heart leap into his throat, but he said nothing. He knew he was being a coward, he knew he should have been trying to deny it, or admit it, or… _something_. He just couldn't.

"But he's a boy," Joanna said, and Albus closed his eyes. Why couldn't this end, now? Why hadn't written something down? Where were the words of comfort he should be offering her? Or the words of defence for himself? His brain continued to give him nothing as he sat in his chair, just staring at the table.

"Albus!" Joanna raised her voice, and Albus forced himself then to look at her, knowing his whole face was burning red, feeling like his heart might burst out of his mouth at any second. "He's a _boy_."

Albus felt the corners of his own eyes sting, but he kept the moisture back. "I know," he managed, and his voice was still hoarse and cracked.

They looked at each for a while, then Joanna frowned and stood up, wiping at her eyes. For a moment she looked like she was going to say something, but then she turned and made her way quickly from the library, leaving Al to once again stare blankly at the table.


	71. Chapter 71

His talk with Malcolm seemed to have calmed the nasty, dizzying feeling of unease and anxiety somewhat, but Scorpius could still feel his stomach churn and his throat constrict unpleasantly every time he even so much as _thought_ of Al.

It had been fifteen days since he and Al had spoken. Scorpius didn't think they'd ever gone that long without speaking, before. Not even during the long summer holidays - there were always letters and owls. Scorpius couldn't help but feel as if part of his world had been shut down and he was now walking around a deserted street looking at all the boarded-up windows. In a way, it was a good thing Malcolm had come into his life when he had, or else Scorpius was sure he'd have gone slightly crazy by now. He'd never been popular with his contemporaries but from his very first week at Hogwarts he'd always had someone he could turn to. With that someone now gone it was hard to think about anything _but_ that absence. He did have Malcolm and Malcolm was a perfectly nice, friendly, honest guy but… he wasn't Albus.

Nobody was quite like Albus, Scorpius thought. It really was quite ridiculous just how '_Albus'_ Albus was. Sometimes he almost seemed like a parody of himself, but never in a bad way. Scorpius couldn't quite put a finger on exactly what it was about Al that had drawn him in so deeply and in these last fifteen days he sometimes found himself wishing it hadn't. Not that that lasted very long; several months of turbulence was not worth giving up five of the best years of his life for, no matter the outcome.

His stomach grumbled angrily at him as he turned the page in his book, propping his chin up in his hand. His glasses had slid down to the end of the nose and he couldn't be bothered to push them back up. Three hours he'd been reading, not because he was studying but more as a way to keep himself distracted, and he'd now read through nearly three quarters of Sylvia Strongpot's '_Guide to Ancient Sorcery_'. Professor Binns had only asked them to read chapters six and seven.

The hunger pangs had started at about four o'clock, since he'd missed lunch, and now it was dinner time and as hungry as he was, he didn't feel up to facing others, today. Perhaps he could sneak into the kitchen later and beg the house-elves for a bite to eat. Surely, knowing he was Al's friend, they wouldn't turn him away.

Al's friend…

The wording struck him as rather… inappropriate. Were he and Al still 'friends'? Had the friendship crumbled? It had been fifteen days, after all, and he'd heard nothing from Al one way or the other. Perhaps it was a sign that Al had moved on without him. Or were they more than 'friends' now simply by virtue of their mutual attraction? Did that actually change anything? Scorpius had no idea but referring to himself as Al's 'friend' seemed strange in this context.

He sighed and his stomach gurgled rudely; he really was hungry. He supposed he could grab a quick dinner and be out again before he'd be forced to turn and look in Al's direction. He'd done a good job of avoiding his eyes so far, and he didn't know if that was a good move or an extremely cowardly one. Either way, it had made things easier and anything that was going to make this less painful was more than welcome.

He pulled the glasses from his nose and tucked them into his shirt pocket. His eyes stung as they adjusted and he rubbed them until they stopped watering. The low light in his little corner was probably responsible for the slight headache he could feel building in the back of his head. Hopefully some food would sort that out. With a quick stretch, he pushed himself up and made his way from the Common Room.

The corridors were mostly empty, not surprising given the time, and Scorpius was thankful for the peace. Noise had always bothered him more than it seemed to bother other people, but he noticed it even more now that he didn't have anyone to talk to to drown it out. He made his way up the stairs and through to the Great Hall, taking a seat at the edge of the table and very purposefully looking only at his food. He did not scan the length of the Slytherin table, nor did he look around the room to see if he could catch a glimpse of Albus anywhere else. He ate just enough Cottage pie to satisfy his grumbling stomach and drank just enough pumpkin juice to quench his thirst before making his exit. There was no point waiting around for dessert; he didn't need it and the longer he stayed at the table the more tempted he would be to look around.

He got as far as the Entrance Hall, however, before he was stopped, anyway. A hand grabbed him by the elbow and tugged, spinning him round with such force it nearly knocked him off his feet. He opened his mouth to confront this mystery assailant but stopped in his tracks when he found himself face to face with a puffy-eyed, blotchy-faced Joanna. His first instinct was to sneer, but something about her demeanour made him hesitant to do _anything_. For several long seconds it felt like both of them had been frozen to the spot, then Joanna blinked and a tear ran down her red cheek.

"I hope you're happy, then." Her voice was strained and Scorpius could only stare and blink at her wordlessly for a while. He could feel her arm shaking where she still had hold of his elbow and he pulled it free of her grasp, frowning.

"Happy about what?" he asked, trying to keep the venom from his voice. As much as he hated her, he could tell now was not the time for an argument. He didn't think he could muster the energy, anyway.

Joanna laughed, but it was mirthless and followed by a sniff and another rolling tear. "Whatever you did worked. So I hope you're happy."

Scorpius could feel every single organ in his body twist and stretch painfully and it was all he could do not to physically double over. He narrowed his eyes and looked at her for a long time, forcing himself not to jump to any conclusions. Not yet.

"I don't know what you're talking about, but I haven't _done_ anything."

Joanna's face crumpled and she turned her head, her long brown hair obscuring her face. Scorpius could only watch, wondering why he was suddenly feeling sorry for her. She had just accused him of something he had obviously had no part in and for some reason he felt pity. He could hear her sniff again and when she turned to him, both her cheeks were wet. He wasn't stupid enough to think this could be about anything other than Al, but until he had some sort of confirmation, he was not allowing himself to hope for anything.

"Congratulations," Joanna said, sniffing again and wiping her eyes with her sleeve. "You win."

Scorpius frowned again. "I didn't…"

"I just hope…"

Joanna stopped, and Scorpius found he was holding his breath for the end of her sentence. It never came. She shook her head. "He's in the library," she finished. And with that, she headed towards the stairs to Gryffindor Tower.

Scorpius felt like his feet had taken root. He stood in the Entrance Hall staring at the empty staircase for at least ten minutes, willing his legs to move. Every hair on his body was standing on end and he once again found it hard not to double over in physical agony. He had no idea what was causing the pain, but if he didn't move soon he was going to collapse.

Finally, he gathered the strength to walk, and before he knew it, his legs were marching him towards the library almost independently of his the rest of his body. He entered and looked around, feeling like something was racing through him at break-neck speed. His pulse was so hard he could see little blue spots pulsating in the outer corners of his eyes. The library was almost empty, and Al was nowhere to be seen. Scorpius walked past the front desk and several bookcases, feeling almost predatory as he made his way round the hall, scanning every corner and table for any sign of Al's messy black hair.

It was a good five minutes before he rounded a bookcase at the back and stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of Al's hunched back and shoulders.

Everything in his body seemed to drain out of him in that instant. The thing racing through his body slowed to a crawl, then stopped, and the throbbing in his eyes vanished. He couldn't see Al's face, but his posture was so unusual, so… un-Al-like that it almost frightened him. He just watched him for a while, feeling almost cruel for having been so excited just moments ago. He bit his lip and stepped forward.

"Al…?"

Al sat up and turned and Scorpius could see how tired and exhausted he looked. There were dark circles under his puffy, red eyes and Scorpius wondered why he'd not noticed them before now. Al turned back to the desk and Scorpius made his way over, pulling out the chair beside him and sitting down. He didn't know what to say. He didn't even know if there was anything he could _say_ in this instance. Should he apologise? What good would that do? Or should he perhaps say thank you? But for what? He didn't even know for sure what had happened, yet; he couldn't assume anything. Instead, he did the only thing he could think of to do, and reached out to place a hand gently on Al's arm. Al stiffened slightly for a moment, then relaxed, turning to him once again.

They both remained silent. It seemed best for now.


	72. Chapter 72

Albus wasn't sure what his reaction should have been when Scorpius had come to him. They'd sat in silence for near two hours, Scorpius' hand just resting gently on his arm. Al didn't feel like talking and part of him wanted Scorpius to just go away. He didn't know what to do. Was Scorpius expecting something? If so, he was going to be sorely disappointed. Albus didn't want that, didn't think he could _handle_ that, so if Scorpius were to just… leave him alone for a while… just long enough for him to grieve…

But he didn't.

Several times Albus had taken a breath as if to speak but each time it was as if someone had stolen the words before he could voice them. What did he want to say? Did he want to tell Scorpius to give him time? If so, how much time? And how fair would it be to Scorpius to ask that of him, anyway? It had been over two weeks since they'd last spoken and Albus had no idea how Scorpius had been coping with things.

In the end, Albus gave up trying to speak and just sat in silence. Thankfully, Scorpius seemed to understand. After a time, it almost became comfortable; it seemed to settle around them like a fine dust and Albus found he was actually thankful for the comforting touch. It wasn't expectant, as Albus had feared, just friendly and reassuring. Scorp's silence and the warmth of his fingertips eased the dull throbbing in Al's skull slightly and he found he was actually rather tired.

He rubbed at his eyes feeling them sting and wiped the resulting tears away on the back of his hand. He still didn't want to talk, but he wanted to move; to go somewhere. Maybe to bed. Maybe just back to the Common Room. Either way, the sudden loss of Scorpius' hand on his arm made him feel lonely and he turned to him, giving him a tired smile. Scorpius smiled back and Albus felt something heavy inside him ease up and lift. He swallowed and cleared his throat, feeling as if it had been two years since he'd spoken, instead of two hours. "Can… can we go somewhere else?" he asked, unsure exactly where he wanted to go; he just wanted to move. For some reason he felt that moving would make him feel less clay-like. His joints felt stiff but he was sure that was due more to stress than to any kind of under-use. Scorpius nodded, and they both stood, making their way from the library, Al following along behind Scorpius. He wasn't sure where Scorp was going, but it felt somewhat calming not to have to make any decisions, just trust that Scorpius knew what he was doing.

When they descended the stairs, Al assumed they were heading to the Common Room, but Scorpius kept walking, past the Common Room entrance and along the corridor to the kitchens. Albus looked up but didn't question, just stepped in through the open portrait and followed Scorp to the table.

"I thought you might be hungry," he said finally. "Since you missed dinner."

Albus sat down and nodded, not having realised until the smell of chicken hit him that his stomach was indeed rather empty. He crossed his arms on the table in front of him as Scorpius asked the house-elves for a plate for food and stared down at the hairs on the back of his arms.

There was another silence, interrupted occasionally by the sounds of crockery and the patter of tiny house-elf feet across the kitchen floor. Albus could see Scorpius watching him out of the corner of his eye and he wondered if he should say something before Scorpius did. He had a feeling if he was too silent for too long, Scorpius would get fed up and leave and he didn't want that. When Scorpius _did_ actually push himself out of his seat, Albus' heart nearly kicked him in the ribs, but he relaxed when Scorpius simply moved round the table to take the seat opposite. The silence lingered a while longer, and Albus found that it actually wasn't so bad now that he could see the smile on Scorp's face.

"What did Strock say when you dropped those beetle wings into Stickleback's cauldron?" Scorpius asked suddenly, and Albus blinked at him for several seconds before remembering what he talking about. He felt the corners of his lips twitch and he let out small chuckle.

"Nothing much," he said, shrugging. "Mostly a long talk about the dangerous effects of exploding potions. He said it was lucky Stickleback's potion was simmering or he might have left the classroom with a permanently purple face."

Scorpius' smile widened and Albus felt something in his stomach flutter happily.

"So no House Points taken?" Scorp asked.

Al shook his head. "No. He said he'd spoken to Longbottom and it was obvious my Quidditch loss was bothering me." Al sighed. "I guess missing the Snitch came in handy, really."

Scorpius bit his lip and Albus regretting bringing that up. He cleared his throat again, grinning. "Tim looked great with no eyebrows, though, didn't he? How long do you think it'll take for them to grow back?"

"Not too long, hopefully," Scorpius replied. "He already has those huge ears."

Al laughed, almost able to feel the tension drain from his body. It was temporary, he knew that, but it was something. He didn't think his shoulders had been this loose in the whole two weeks he and Scorp had been apart. It felt good. He moved his arms from the table when his dinner arrived and tried not to appear too famished as he tucked into his food. He could still feel Scorpius watching him and he was unsure if he should speak next or wait for Scorpius.

"So…" Scorpius started, and Albus was grateful that he hadn't had to think of something. His brain still wasn't working properly. "When's your next Quidditch game?"

"April the twelfth," he said around a mouthful of peas. "Why?" Quidditch wasn't really something he wanted to think too much about right now, but hopefully his recent failure wouldn't spoil future games for him. Scorpius shrugged and Albus saw the smile on his face widen.

"Well, I'd like to come," he said.

Albus felt that thing in his stomach flutter again as he swallowed his peas. He didn't say anything, though, just smiled back and nodded. He knew there was something distinctly different about Scorp's enquiry, because Scorpius had been to his games before. It wasn't as if watching him play was going to be a new experience for him, but the way he'd asked felt… _new_… almost as if he were asking for the very first time. It took Albus several moments to figure out what it was that had sounded so different, and when he did, he smiled. It was almost a nervous smile, really, because they still hadn't discussed anything… beyond Tim Stickleback's unfortunate ears. Things were still floating in a bubble above their heads, but Scorpius seemed to understand Al's desire to wait for the right time. He wasn't ready just yet to pretend he wasn't hurting, but he knew they would have to talk about it soon. And part of him couldn't wait.


	73. Chapter 73

Meals seemed easier to digest when Al was sitting next to him at the table. Reading seemed easier on his eyes. Concentrating in class was not so much of a chore and Scorpius found that frowning less made the headaches go away. In fact, the past few days had felt rather light and cheerful in comparison to the previous two weeks. Things were not perfect, and there were still occasional moments of awkward silence, but he and Al were talking again and that was a huge improvement.

It had actually been Al's idea that they study together that night. He'd said it was because his work had been suffering, but Scorpius knew it was more than that. It was a sense of normalcy and familiarity he was looking for and Scorpius couldn't blame him; he craved the same, after all. Scorpius didn't actually have that much to study since he'd immersed himself in his text books so much over the past few weeks that he was actually ahead of schedule, but if re-reading the same pages again meant sitting comfortably and familiarly with Al in their usual spot, then he wasn't going to complain.

Charms was the lesson they'd chosen to study today. They'd covered the chapters on advanced levitation and transportation and were now half-way through chapter fourteen; _The Art of Magical Camouflage_.

Scorpius already had copious notes on all these chapters, but he read through the pages again, making sure there was nothing he'd missed. Thankfully the Common Room was quiet at this time, it made Scorpius feel more at ease, though he still glanced up every time Albus sighed or turned a page or shifted in his chair. In fact, he had to resist the urge to look up every time he caught Albus blink out of the corner of his eye

"Isn't this just going over what we did last year?" Albus asked after a while, sitting up and frowning down at his book.

Scorpius rolled his eyes, though he was unable to muster the energy for any kind of genuine exasperation. "This is history of practice. Last year was mainly theory."

Al raised an eyebrow. "What's the difference?"

"Well," Scorpius replied. "Last year we learned about the Why and this year we're learning about the How. Our N.E. are going to be a lot more practical than our O.."

Albus sighed. "But we've got ages until our N.E.."

Scorpius knew he shouldn't grin, but he couldn't help it. "Read your chapter," he said, pushing his glasses back up his nose and going back to his book. He heard Albus sigh from across the table and chewed the inside of his lip, trying to keep the corners of his mouth from turning up too far. Al's stubborn, immature attitude was more comforting than annoying now, Scorpius found. He was sure it would wear off eventually, but for now it felt good to be back on well-trodden ground. He was sure Albus felt the same. And it was just as well, really, because they'd need to find their footing before they could start to traverse the minefield that lie ahead of them.

It was a strange dual mentality, really, feeling so relieved in one instance and yet so apprehensive in the next. It was such a fine line between comfort and potential chaos and as tempting as it would be to just wallow in the safe, stress-free quiet of moments like this for a few days (then a few more days, than a few more…) Scorpius knew that if neither of them addressed the situation soon, there would be no safe, stress-free quiet moments for them to wallow _in_. As happy as Scorpius was to have his Al back in any capacity, he knew the need to talk was eventually going to get the better of them, and Scorpius wasn't going to pretend he wasn't silently wishing with everything he had that Albus had chosen him. A big part of him was sure he had, since the ultimatum had been clear and Albus had made his choice, but there had been no confirmation yet, no answer one way or the other, and Scorpius wasn't prepared to push Albus for one. Not yet.

Albus had put a brave face on since they'd made up, despite their two hours of silence in the library. Scorpius had felt cruel when he'd seen the look on Al's face and the pain in his eyes; greedy and selfish, even, but not so much that he wouldn't allow Al time to grieve. Scorpius hated Joanna, hated every syllable in her name, but he knew that Al didn't, and that's what was important. His own feelings for Joanna counted for nothing in this instance, because Al was the one hurting, and Scorpius had to _let_ him hurt. Otherwise how could he possibly move on? All he could do was wait, give him time and be there when Al needed it.

The elephant in the room was glowing rather brightly, but Scorpius would do his best to ignore it until Albus told him it was time.

Al turned a page in his book and sighed again and Scorpius looked up in time to see several strands of dark, messy hair land unevenly on Al's forehead. He smiled and watched him for a while, wondering what sort of process Al was going through in his own head. He was sure they'd likely be similar in some ways and completely different in others. He couldn't even begin fathom the differences, but at that moment in time Scorpius found himself desperately wishing he knew Legillimency. He was sure it would be easier for both of them if he did. Right now he had to go on physical signs and signals, and he knew how good Albus was at pretending. He didn't feel he could ask how Albus was feeling about things, yet… he wasn't even sure what he could say. He couldn't ask if he was missing Joanna because he wasn't sure he'd like the answer. He couldn't ask if Albus was alright because he already knew the answer would be either yes, in which case it would be a lie, or no, in which case… what else could he say? All he could do was make sure Al felt as at ease and comfortable as it was possible, given the circumstances.

"Can we not read this anymore?" Albus complained, sitting up and stretching. "I'm forgetting things I learned last week."

Scorpius shook himself and averted his eyes from Al's face, quickly looking back down at his parchment as if examining his notes. He raised his eyebrows and took a deep breath. "Where did you get to?" he asked, looking up again.

Al shrugged. "Something about bending particles and manipulating light," he said. "Riveting stuff, but I almost forgot my name just then."

Scorpius smiled and closed his book. If truth be told, he was running out of things to read and it was getting late. "Are you going up to bed, then?" he asked, tucking his glasses into his shirt pocket. Al shrugged again.

"No. I thought… maybe we could just sit and chat for a bit?"

Scorpius felt his heart leap into his mouth, but he said nothing.

"I mean… if you want to," Al went on. "I haven't… haven't really done much chatting recently." He gave a small grin. "I heard that Clarence had to be sent home after an incident with a Niffler?"

Scorpius raised an eyebrow. "What sort of incident?"

"Nobody knows," Al replied, grinning. "But the rumours are pretty gross."

Scorpius couldn't help but smile at the obvious humour in Al's voice, despite the rather disturbing implications. He closed his book and stood up. "Well, I hope you're not helping spread them."

"I don't need to," Al chuckled, following Scorpius over to the couch and sitting beside him. "But it's pretty brilliant, isn't it?"

"If that's what you consider brilliant…"

Albus laughed and Scorpius laughed, too, despite himself. Whatever Al was feeling right now, whatever hurt he was experiencing, it was good just to see him smile.


	74. Chapter 74

Albus could feel his palms clamming up as he made his way across the lawn to greenhouse three. Joanna had been absent from the three classes they usually had together this past week and while Albus had been thankful for that, he knew she would have to return sooner or later. He also knew that Herbology was her favourite lesson. He hadn't seen her at breakfast that morning, so that at least boded well for him. Perhaps she still wasn't up for classes… perhaps she was ill. He bit the inside of his lip… he hoped she wasn't ill because of _him_.

He could hear the sound of excited pre-class chatter as he neared the greenhouse door and see the small pots lined up on the desks. His space was obviously empty, as was the seat next to his. This was good – it meant Joanna probably wasn't here. Although, if she had been in her usual place, where would he have sat? He couldn't imagine a whole lesson sitting next to her. How utterly uncomfortable _that_ would be. He pushed open the door and walked over to his chair, taking a seat and slowly unpacking his bag. He looked around the room as he rummaged around for his quill and parchment, trying to see if anyone was looking at him. Every lesson had been the same since he'd broken up with Jo; paranoid glances, eavesdropping, constantly burning ears. He could hardly blame her if she'd told people, but he'd been praying that she wouldn't. He didn't know what he'd do if people found out. Not about the break-up, but about his feelings for Scorp. He was sure Jo had told her friends about the break-up and he was quite prepared for the wrath of the sixth year Gryffindor girls.

Thankfully nobody seemed to be looking at him or paying him any attention as they got on with their own unpacking. Albus relaxed slightly and pushed his bag under the table, examining the pot in front of him. There was, he noticed, a small, leafy bulb beside it and a glass bowl full of strange-looking coloured pebbles. He picked up a red one and hissed with pain as it sizzled and burnt his fingertips. He dropped it back into the bowl and frowned, blowing on his singed fingers and pushing the bowl away in a huff.

The door opened and Professor Longbottom walked in, giving the class his usual cheery smile. Albus never quite understood how someone could be so chirpy in the morning. Longbottom made his way to the front of the classroom. "Good morning, everyone," he said brightly. Several people mumbled unenthusiastically in response. It didn't seem to faze him. "So, can anybody tell me what you all have in front of you?"

The room was silent as people looked around, obviously waiting for someone to answer the question so they wouldn't have to. Albus did the same, having absolutely no idea what was in front of him and finding he wasn't particularly interested now that it had burnt him. Longbottom sighed and picked up the bulb on his desk. "This, class, is a receptor plant. Or it will be when it grows. It absorbs energy and has the ability to change its shape and quality depending on the energy it absorbs."

The class nodded, and Longbottom picked up his bowl of pebbles. "And can anybody tell me what these are?"

"Elemental stones," came Samantha Higgins' voice from near the front. Longbottom's smile widened.

"Yes, exactly," he said, nodding. "Well done. These are Elemental stones. As you can see, you have four different colours, red, blue, green and brown. These represent the four elements. I don't think I need to tell you which is which."

Albus raised an eyebrow. He certainly didn't need telling which one was fire.

"The aim of today's class is to get you all to make your own receptor plant," Longbottom went on, placing his bulb and pebbles back on his desk. "As you can see you have multiple pebbles in front of you, different combinations of pebbles will give different energies. Fire and air, for example, will produce electrical energy, like lightning. Plants with strong electrical energies are often used in memory-recovery potions, for patients who have had their memories modified or tampered with."

Albus pulled his bowl closer again, tipping it up and looking at the pebbles. He pressed the tip of his sore finger against one of the blue pebbles and grinned as something cool and wet-feeling washed over it. When he removed his finger it was dry, but a lot less painful.

"Before you all start planting, though, I want you…"

Longbottom stopped as the greenhouse door opened. Albus turned to see who it was and froze as Joanna stepped in, closing the door behind her. "Uh… sorry," she said, looking at Longbottom. "I overslept."

Albus quickly let go of his bowl, the pebbles having begun to clatter in his hand.

Longbottom sighed, but it was more sympathetic than truly angry. "Alright, Miss Williams. Please make sure it doesn't happen again. Take a seat."

Albus felt every muscle in his body try to squeeze itself into the tightest shape it possibly could, hoping against hope that Joanna would not choose to sit next to him. Luckily, she made her way to the front of the class and sat in an empty seat next to Jessica Davies, not even once looking in his direction. The relief that washed over him in that instant almost made his head spin and he had to cling to the edge of the table to keep from tipping backwards off his stool.

"As I was saying," Longbottom continued. "Before you all start planting I want you to read chapter nine on Receptor plants and Elemental stones. Use that information to decide which stones you'd like to use. Hopefully, we should have a wide variety of plants by the end of the lesson. Oh… and don't touch the red pebbles without gloves."

Albus turned his book to chapter nine and began reading, but he found he couldn't concentrate properly. The back of Joanna's head was too distracting. He kept glancing up at her as he read, trying to see if she was talking to Davies. This was the first lesson he'd seen her in since the break-up and Al had no idea what kind of mood she was in. She'd obviously not told anybody about the reason behind their split yet, or he'd have known about it - people would have mentioned it – but what if that was only because she hadn't had the opportunity yet? What if she'd spent the past week locked away in the Gryffindor Common Room, waiting until she felt composed enough to go out and tell everyone? What if she'd wanted to lull him into some sort of false sense of security?

But she wasn't talking. Her head was bowed and she appeared to be reading. Albus felt guilty for suspecting her, but he couldn't help it. Joanna wasn't the kind of person to go around spreading gossip… he _knew_ Joanna, he _knew_ she wasn't malicious… but he couldn't help feeling paranoid.

It took him a lot longer to read the chapter than it should have done. By the time he'd finished, the rest of the class were already planting their bulbs. Albus stood and fetched a pair of gloves from the cupboard, along with a small trowel, before returning to his table. He dug a small hole in the earth and placed the bulb into it. The book had said to plant the bulb first and simply push the pebbles into the soil around it, so Albus did. He picked out a red fire stone and pushed it in, followed by two brown earth stones. The combined fire and earth, the chapter had said, would produce volcanic energy, which was apparently good for the heart. Albus just liked the idea of a volcanic plant, really.

When he'd finished, he carried his plant over to the table and set it down with the others. He found he was actually quite interested to see what they all turned into since each stone had the ability to change the plants appearance. It would be a few weeks before they'd get to see the results, however.

He made his way back to the table and started packing his things away as Longbottom tried desperately to give them their homework before they all left. Nobody ever wrote anything down, but Albus caught something about chapters ten and eleven. He slung his bag over his shoulder and was about to leave when he caught sight of Joanna talking to Matthew Moran by the **Shrivelfigs. He felt his stomach plummet and he stood, as if fixed to the spot, staring at them in utter helpless terror.**

**He couldn't hear what she was saying, but she grinned at one point and Matthew laughed. Albus felt like he might be sick. He watched as Joanna said goodbye and left the greenhouse before quickly making his way over to where Matthew was still packing away his things. He stood beside him, trying to look as casual as possible. Matthew turned and gave him polite smile. "Um… hi," he said, sounding more than a little confused. They'd never really spoken much before so it wasn't as if they were on friendly terms. Albus gave him a small grin and a shrug, going for nonchalance but knowing he probably looked slightly too intense for that.**

**"Hey," he replied. "So… what's going on?"**

**Moran blinked at him for a moment then shrugged. "Well… not much. Got Charms next."**

**Al nodded again. "Yeah… cool." He paused, then decided to just get straight to the point. "So… what were you and Jo talking about?" he asked, unable to stop the suspicious tone in his voice. Great, he thought, now he sounded like the crazy stalker ex-boyfriend.**

**"Just about our Divination assignment. It's, er… due next week. Why?"**

**Once again, relief washed over him like a giant wave and his muscles relaxed in his body. He exhaled and shook his head. "No reason. Good luck with that," he said, before turning and making his way hastily from the greenhouse, feeling more than a little foolish.**

**The relief was quickly replaced with a nasty sense of guilt again as he marched across the grass. If he didn't calm down and stop being so suspicious he was going to do much quicker job of outing himself than Joanna ever could. He almost wanted to find Jo and apologise for suspecting her, but that would do no good. No, what he ****_really_**** needed to do was talk to Scorpius. He had, after all, broken up with Joanna for a reason, and so far they'd both done a really good job of avoiding the subject, but it was about time they at least acknowledged it. If there was going to be… ****_something_****… between him and Scorp, then they both needed to figure out ****_what_**** and ****_how_****. They also needed to decide what would need to be done should anyone find out. That was possibly the most pressing and immediate issue… for Al, anyway. He had no idea how Scorpius felt about it, but he guessed he'd know soon enough.**

**He had Muggle Studies next, then Potions. He doubted they'd get much talking done during class, and they only had an hour for lunch - hardly enough time to discuss something as important as this. No, Albus would bring it up with him later on, after classes were finished. After dinner, even, when everyone else was winding down. If they were going to talk, they would need somewhere peaceful and deserted to do it. Albus was sure he'd think of something.**

**With that idea firmly planted, he made his way purposefully to his next class.**


	75. Chapter 75

Scorpius had almost made himself comfortable on the Common Room couch when the cushion next to him dipped under Al's weight. He turned to smile tiredly at him, but the troubled look on Al's face killed the smile before it even reached his lips. Any other time he'd have asked what was wrong, but he found, at this precise moment, that he was rather lost for words. He knew he was being over-cautious, but the thought that even _asking_ what was wrong might trigger some sort of negative response was enough to keep him quiet. He tried to keep the concern from his face, even though Al's gaze was aimed at the fireplace and not at him. He silently counted the seconds they sat in silence and got to eight before Albus finally spoke.

"Can we talk?" he asked, finally shifting his gaze and looking at Scorpius. Scorpius nodded wordlessly, trying his best not to panic. He'd done so well not pushing Al; he really, really hoped this wasn't going to be as bad as it sounded.

Al looked around nervously and Scorpius curled his fingers into a fist, gripping the sofa cushion tightly in his already sweaty hand.

"Here probably isn't the best place, though," said Al. "Come on…"

Al got to his feet and Scorpius followed, watching Al closely as they both made their way across the busy Common Room. He noted the nervous glances Al kept casting over his shoulder as they went and wondered exactly what it was that had got Al so worked up. This was the most nervous Scorpius had seen him since they'd made up and he had no idea if this boded well or not. All he could do was follow along behind Al as they made their way along the corridor and down the stairs to the kitchens.

Al was even cautious when they were inside the kitchen and it was only after Scorpius closed the portrait behind him and sat down that Al seemed to calm himself slightly. A House Elf scurried over to them and gave a deep bow. "Can we be getting anything for you, misters Potter and Malfoy?"

Al shook his head, looking determinedly down at Scorpius' chest. Scorpius wanted to ask for a glass of water to ease his suddenly dry throat, but thought it best not to. He simply shook his head, also, and the House Elf bowed again and scurried away.

The two sat in silence again for a while and Scorpius swore he could almost feel Al's eyes burning two searing holes in his torso. Finally, Al lifted his gaze.

"Okay, so…" he began, sounding slightly shaky. Scorpius felt his stomach tighten and he once again clenched his hands into sweaty fists. "What is this?"

Scorpius blinked at him for several moments, trying to think of an answer that made sense. Or, rather, trying to make sense of the question. It had been rather open-ended. "I…" He paused, then frowned. "What?"

"Us," Al said, leaning forward slightly in his seat, sounding a little desperate. "I mean… what are we? Are we friends, are we something more than that? We haven't discussed anything and I have no idea what's going on."

Scorpius' stomach settled momentarily when he realised this was going in the direction he'd feared, only to tense up again at the almost accusatory tone in Al's voice. He frowned slightly. "Neither have I," he bristled. "I'm in the same place as you, here. It's not like I've been keeping anything from you."

"Well, I assumed you'd know more about this than me." Al shrugged. Scorpius' frown deepened and his head swam. That made no sense.

"Why on earth would you assume that?" he asked, even more confused. Had he been giving off some sort of weird secret knowledge vibe?

"Well…" Al shrugged again, and gestured towards him pathetically. "You… you're more used to this than me. I thought…"

"Because you think I'm gay?" Scorpius cut in, suddenly catching on and narrowing his eyes. "And gay people have some sort of gay sixth sense?"

"What?!" Al narrowed his eyes in return, then shook his head, scoffing dismissively. "Don't be stupid."

Scorpius could feel his ears starting to heat up and he scowled. "So now I'm gay, secretive _and_ stupid? Fantastic… what a great chat this is turning out to be."

"Oh, for fuck's sake, Scorpius…"

Scorpius shut his mouth at Al's use of his full name. For some reason, that always managed to catch him off guard. They sat glaring at each other for a few moments, then Al sighed and looked down at the table. Scorpius felt the anger drain slowly from his body and he too looked away, feeling the heat move from his ears to his cheeks.

"Look," Al went on, calmly this time. "I broke up with Joanna for a reason, and we both know what that reason was, but we haven't even mentioned or acknowledged it yet and it's just…" he sighed and Scorpius looked up at him. "I think I'm going a bit insane." Al gave him a small grin and Scorpius couldn't help but smile. "I was sort of hoping you'd bring it up so we could talk about it."

Scorpius snorted; typical, really. "I was waiting for you," he replied. "I didn't want to freak you out by bringing it up too soon."

Albus laughed. "Then I guess we're both equally stupid, then, eh'?"

Scorpius grinned, but couldn't help but think he'd still made the right choice by not pushing - for his own peace of mind, even if not for Al's. At least now he knew for sure Al was ready to at least discuss things. He unclenched his hand and wiped it on his trouser leg, leaning forward slightly and crossing his arms on the table. As long as they were on the subject… "So, where _are_ we, then?" he asked, feeling more confident now that Al had already posed the question.

Albus shrugged. "I don't know."

"Well, where do you _want_ to be?"

Scorpius bit his lip and Albus chuckled, shaking his head. "I don't know."

Scorpius looked at him a while, waiting for him to look up. It took a moment or so and when he did, they just sat and looked at each other for a while. "We don't have to 'date', if that's weird for you," Scorpius said after a while. "We can just… see how things go. I mean… I know how you feel… you know how I feel…"

Albus nodded. "Yeah…" He looked away briefly, then back again. "But… can we keep it secret…? Between us? I don't think I'm ready for other people to know…"

Scorpius nodded, thankful Al had been the one to say it. "Yes. Of course. I don't want anyone to know either." He grinned slightly at the look of relief that flooded across Al's face. "It'll just be between us."

The air seemed to relax and settle comfortably around them and when another House Elf came back to ask if they would like some dinner, they both said yes.


	76. Chapter 76

"Brother of mine."

Albus rolled his eyes as Lily's voice carried across the lawn. He and the team had just finished practice and he was ready for a nap. He continued on his way to the castle, knowing that Lily was going to force her presence on him whether he welcomed it or not. She tended to do that. And today had been such a nice day, too.

She fell into stride beside him and Albus sighed tiredly. "Yes, Lils?" he asked, gripping the end of his Falcon tighter as it sat, slung over his shoulder. Lily beamed at him.

"Well… just coming to say hello," she said, brightly. "See how my big brother was doing. Maybe check up on the status of his love life."

Al rolled his eyes; he knew that was why she was here. As helpful as she was at certain times, she was a bloody nuisance at others. He kept walking. "I assume you've spoken to Jo, then?" he asked, already knowing the answer. He'd secretly hoped she'd have kept quiet, but he knew better than to think she wouldn't tell people at least about the break-up. Lily nodded. Al turned to her and almost cringed at the pinched, apologetic look on her face. He sighed again. "How is she?"

Lily shrugged. "Not really in the best of spirits, but that's to be expected, really, isn't it?"

Al nodded. He supposed she was right, although he'd rather Lily had said she was fine. "I guess so," he replied, feeling more than a little frustrated at his inability to do anything about it. He bit his lip for a while as they walked, then turned to look at his sister. "What did she say, then?"

"That you'd broken up and that you liked Scorpius."

Albus nearly dropped his broom as he stopped in his tracks and spun round to face Lily full-on. "She told you?" he rasped, shocked to find his voice all but gone as the words fought their way from his throat.

"Well, it's not like I didn't know." Lily shrugged.

Albus could feel his eyes widen to the size of serving platters and his eyeballs felt like they were rapidly drying up. "But she didn't know that you knew!" he replied, his voice only marginally stronger than before.

Lily rolled her eyes. "I obviously didn't _tell_ her I knew, did I? I just listened and nodded and stuff."

Albus closed his eyes and scrunched his face up, bringing his free hand to his face and almost digging his nails into his forehead. He took a breath and removed his palm from his face. "But if she told _you_…"

"Oh…" Lily shook her head, smiling. "Don't worry. She hasn't told anyone else. And she won't. We had a long talk about it. We both agreed it wouldn't be right to tell anyone."

"Are you sure?" Albus asked, his voice having now returned to normal and taken on an extremely stern, almost teacher-like tone. Lily nodded.

"Yes. So don't panic. You know she's not like that, anyway."

Albus let out a breath and relaxed, once again feeling guilty for suspecting Jo of anything malicious. He turned and started off towards the castle again, Lily once again keeping pace beside him. The reached the Entrance Hall and Albus was more than ready to give Lily the slip and head back down to his dormitory for a short sleep before lunch, but he could sense she hadn't done nosing, yet.

"So…" she asked. "What _is_ going on between you and Scorpius?"

Sometimes he hated it when he was right. He slid the broom forward off his shoulder and turned towards the stairs leading up to the fourth floor. "Not here," he whispered, glaring at her as she nodded in understanding and followed along behind.

It seemed he'd spent a lot of his time in the library recently, which was unusual for him, since it had always been Scorpius' domain. Still, he'd been using it for thinking, not working, so as far as studying went, it was still very much Scorp's domain. He scanned the room as they entered, thankful for the lack of familiar blond hair or bushy brown, and lead Lily over to his little alcove at the back.

"Make this quick, please," he said, sliding into his chair and propping his broom against the edge of the table. Lily turned her chair round to face him and leaned forward excitedly.

"Okay," she said, nodding. "So…?"

She looked at him expectantly for a while and Albus just blinked at her. There was a weird silence, then Al frowned. "So… what? What sort of question was that?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "So… what's going on? I assume you broke up with Jo so you could go out with Scorpius?"

Al's frown deepened. "Well…" he said, awkwardly. "We're not… I mean… I wouldn't say we were '_going out_'."

"Well what _are_ you doing?" Lily asked slowly, as if talking to a simpleton. Albus narrowed his eyes; he hated it when she did that. She was younger than him, damn it, she was not allowed to do that.

"I don't know," he replied, his voice clipped, and he honestly didn't. He and Scorpius had decided to see how things would go and it had only been two days since their conversation. So far they'd been pretty much the same as before, except for the odd glance across the table and a small, shared smile when no one was looking.

"But you told him how you feel, didn't you?" Lily asked. "I mean… you're both in the whole 'knowing stuff' stage, right? You know… the stage where you're not actually just a giant idiot in denial? That stage?"

"I could leave, you know."

"Oh, sit down." Lily grinned. "I'm just asking. What have you two talked about so far?"

Albus sighed and leaned back in his chair, looking down at the table. "Well… we spoke the other day about how we didn't want anyone to know and how we're going to take things slowly and stuff…"

"And how slowly do you want to take it?"

Albus shook his head and laughed. "I have no idea. I sort of feel like I should be moving at his pace, only… I think he might be waiting for me. I really don't know."

Lily rolled her eyes. "So you'll be forty before one of you finally makes a move. If you haven't both combusted by then, of course."

Al tilted his head in Lily's direction. "Funny."

"What would you do if it were a girl?" Lily asked, throwing Al completely. He frowned and sat up straighter in his chair.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if this weren't Scorpius… if it were some blond girl you had started dating. What would you do in this situation?"

"But it _is_ Scorpius," Al pointed out, his turn to treat Lily like a simpleton. "That's really rather the point, isn't it?"

"But if it _were_ a girl… let's call her… Scorparina… what would you do?"

"Scorparina?"

"You'd have kissed her by now, wouldn't you? Or something. So what's stopping you?"

"Because…" Albus was ready to once again point out that Scorpius was, in fact a boy, but he stopped, paused for a minute, then sighed. Lily was right, really, but the situation was slightly different than he was used to, and more than a little nerve-wracking.

"You fancy him, don't you?" Lily went on.

Albus nodded. He did… he'd put off admitting it for a long time, but he did. He'd finally had to admit it after he'd had that dream where he'd spent nearly four hours rubbing his nose against Scorp's and a fire had broken out and little men had come jumping out of his eyes to put the fire out so Scorpius' face didn't melt. That had been a weird dream.

"So what's the problem?"

Al sighed again, feeling defeated, even though he knew he had a logical answer to all of her questions. It's just that logic didn't seem to have a place in this argument. He knew she was right, but it was all a matter of bringing himself to bite the bullet. He nodded, more to himself than to anything Lily had said, then pushed himself up from the table. "I need to go have a nap. I'm knackered. I'll… yeah. See you."

Thankfully, Lily didn't try to stop him.


	77. Chapter 77

It was one of those typical mid-March days when the sun hadn't _quite_ made up its mind whether it was ready to come yet out or not. The air was warmer than it had been recently and there were yellow daffodil-like blotches sprouting in random patches across the lawn; but there were still grey clouds overhead and the ground was muddy. Scorpius had never been particularly fond of the outdoors, with the wind and the harsh light and the lack of readily available reading materials, but Albus was for once showing an interest in pursuing a line of study, so Scorpius had agreed to help. The mud oozing up and around his shoes, however, wasn't helping his opinion of the outdoors very much.

"What are you looking for, again?" Scorpius asked, looking down at the small plant pot and trowel in his hands. He'd agreed to carry them for Al since Al was busy flicking through several pages in his Herbology textbook and muttering to himself.

"Receptor plants," Al called over his shoulder, turning the page. "Apparently they grow on the outskirts of forests and stuff, and near rivers."

Scorpius nodded, watching Al as he continued to read, stopped occasionally to glance at random plants before moving onward again. Scorpius had heard of Receptor plants but flora had never been much of an interest of his – it went with not being a very outdoors-y person – so he was leaving this one very much up to Al. Having opted out of Herbology in year five, it seemed there was a lot about plants he now didn't know. At least Albus seemed interested.

"What do these Receptor plants look like?" Scorpius asked. Albus shrugged.

"That depends," he said, still checking his book as he walked.

"On what?"

"Well… on where they grow. What they're next to. The weather… that sort of thing."

Scorpius looked around at their surroundings; it was cloudy and damp, but quite warm, the ground around them was muddy but grassy and they were, as Albus had said, standing right on the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest. "So…" he said, unsure exactly what Albus was looking for. "What are you looking for _here_?"

Albus turned to him and grinned. "Well, if I've done my research correctly, I should be looking for a plant with large, dark, muddy leaves and yellow flowers. Since we're in shade and near lots of grass and stuff, it's most likely to be earth energy the plants are feeding on."

Scorpius raised an eyebrow, impressed. "Wow… you almost sound as if you know what you're talking about," he said, grinning back. He loved it when Al spoke about a subject so knowledgably; it made him tingle slightly. Albus chuckled and shook his head, taking a few steps deeper into the vegetation as Scorpius watched the way the wind ruffled Al's hair and exposed the back of his neck briefly.

"Of course," Al went on. "Since it's been raining, the water may have had an effect on the plants. The ground's still very wet…"

Scorpius smiled. "And what effect will the water have had?" he asked, wanting Al to continue. He followed him into the undergrowth, grimacing slightly at the sound of mud squelching beneath his feet.

"Well…" said Al. "Depending on how much water the plants have come into contact with and, I guess, how many other energies the plants are feeding from, the flowers might be a bit more… green-y… or something."

Scorpius smirked. Trust Al to turn a completely convincing and academic-sounding sentence into something so… Al-like. Still… he knew more about this than Scorpius did. All Scorpius knew was that they were looking for some sort of plant with either yellow or green-y-coloured flowers and the bottoms of his trousers were getting wet. He hoped this wouldn't go on too much longer, he didn't fancy catching a cold and from the look of the sky, it wouldn't be too longer before it started to rain again.

"Scorp," Al cried, crouching down and almost disappearing behind a rather tall shrub. Scorpius made his way over and crouched beside him. The plant certainly fit the description Al had given; large, dark leaves and several dark yellow flowers sprouting from the top.

"This is one, I think," Al said. "Give me those."

Scorpius passed him the pot and trowel and watched as he dug the plant out of the ground and placed it in the pot. The earth looked like black slime and liquid oozed back into the hole to take the plant's place. Blobs of it landed on Al's hands and Scorpius wanted to reach forward and wipe them away. He bit his lip as he watched Al push wet earth into the pot around the plant's roots and grinned slightly when he realised he was staring at Al's fingers. With a grin, he reached out and wiped the muddy liquid from the back of Al's hand, feeling Al tense momentarily before looking up at him and smiling. It was a nice moment, really; just the two of them crouched in the mud looking for plants.

A low rumble in the distance cut through their moment.

"I have to get this to the greenhouse," Al said, and Scorpius nodded. If it was going to rain soon, then it was probably best for them to be on their way. They made their way from the forest and across the lawn to greenhouse three and Scorpius only just managed to close the door behind him before it started to rain. The droplets sounded like stones on the glass roof and Scorpius could actually _see_ the rain grow heavier as he watched it through the door.

"I'm supposed to leave this for Longbottom," Al said and Scorpius turned watch him writing his name on the side of the pot. "Our own plants won't be fully grown for a few weeks, yet, so we have to study these."

Scorpius made his way over to the table and looked over some of the other plants. There were some with smaller, rounder leaves and blue flowers, and some with sharper leaves and red flowers. Al's was by far the most bedraggled, but hopefully it would be fine.

"What are you studying?" Scorpius asked.

"The effects of different energies on plants," Al said, shrugging. "And their eventual use in potions. Earth energies are good for the head, apparently."

Scorpius nodded, then pointed to one of the red plants. "What about that one?" he asked.

"That's fire. That's good for the heart and general well-being."

Scorpius nodded again, wanting Albus to keep going. Knowledge had always been powerful and exciting, but it was strangely hypnotising coming from Al. He bit his lip. "And that one?" he asked, pointing to a blue flower.

"Water," Al replied. "Water is calming. Used a lot in sleeping draughts."

"And…"

"Air…"

Scorpius looked up, completely and undeniably aware that he was blushing. He could feel it heating up his entire face. Albus was looking at him and frowning, as if deep in contemplation.

"Scorp…"

Scorpius was about to answer when there was suddenly a mouth locked onto his and a thick strand of messy black hair in his eye. For a moment all he could do was stare, wide-eyed, over Al's shoulder, frozen to the spot like a Hippogriff caught in wand-light, but then there was a pair of hands on his shoulders, gripping too tight and trembling nervously and Scorpius finally found his bearings. He kissed back, trying not to smile too widely into Al's mouth as he reached up and gripped Al's upper arms gently. Looking into Al's face he could see Al had his eyes closed and Scorpius followed suit, letting Al guide for now, pushing only as far as Al pushed and no further. It was wet and somewhat sloppy, and Scorpius was sure that was due largely to nerves on both their parts, but it was fine. It was more than fine.

When they finally parted, Scorpius couldn't force the smile from his face. His lips were damp and throbbing slightly and his face was still burning hot. He could tell Albus was experiencing the same because his face was almost crimson. The whole situation would have been hilarious if it weren't so… _real_. If Scorpius had been watching two people in the same position it would have been laughable… but it wasn't just 'two people', it was him and Albus.

They stared at each other in silence for a while, then Albus laughed. Scorpius was glad it hadn't been him first. He grinned and leaned forward to kiss him again, slowly, this time and more gently. Albus smiled when it ended.

"I usually kiss better than that," he said, sounding both amused and somewhat sheepish.

"That's good to know." Scorpius smirked. "Something to look forward to, then."

Al's responding grin was all Scorpius needed in way of an answer. If this was what counted as not dating, then he was pretty sure he was alright with that.

For now…


	78. Chapter 78

The penultimate Saturday of the month was a bright, warm, sunny one. The ground was dry and green and the sky was almost completely cloudless. Perfection practice conditions, Al thought. The team obviously agreed as they'd all been rather enthusiastic about getting out as soon as they'd finished their breakfast. Al's Falcon was once again slung over his shoulder as he and his team mates made their way to the pitch and his leathers hung by their straps from his left hand.

"I heard Sarah and Martin broke up," said Craig, appearing beside Al. "Apparently he kissed Natasha Lemonski last week and Sarah found out."

"Oh?" Al said, raising his eyebrows in an attempt to look interested. He was much too busy being pleased with his own life at the moment to really be bothered with anyone else's.

Craig nodded. "Yeah. Natasha's kicking up a right fuss about it, too. People have suggested he sleep with one eye open. She's nasty when she's angry. D'you remember when she broke Jones' ankle? There was no way that was an accident."

"Yeah," Al nodded, recalling the incident quite clearly. He'd never liked Sarah and she'd never liked him; that much had been obvious from the way she glared at him every time he'd gone up to Gryffindor Tower to see Joanna. Al suspected she just didn't like people from other Houses since she seemed fine with the other Gryffindors. Either way, she was still pretty insignificant in his life at the moment. Even more so now that he and Joanna weren't together anymore. Scorp's face flashed across his mind and Al grinned as they reached the pitch and set their things down.

"Alright, general practice today," Al said, sliding his broom onto the ground and leaning it against the nearest goalpost. "Craig, Alex and Ed, I want you three to practice the Hawkshead and Reverse Pass. Mike, I want you to practice the Starfish and Stick, okay?"

All four nodded.

"Ian and Jerry, practice your Backbeat. We're going to need everything we've got in our arsenal against Gryffindor this year, including the element of surprise."

"And are you going to catch the Snitch this time?" asked Jeremiah, smirking, a remark that, in any other circumstance, Al would have flinched at. Instead, he simply grinned and shrugged.

"I guess we'll see," he said, amused at the look of disappointment on Jeremiah's face. He was a good player, Jeremiah, but had the tendency of being a bit of a dick on occasion. Al, however, was in too good a mood to care. "Right, everyone get ready and we'll start."

Al strapped on his arm and shin guards and mounted his broom, kicking off and speeding towards the stands.

* * *

Al's legs ached as the team finally landed and headed towards the changing room. It had been a good practice and they'd made some excellent progress. Alex's reverse pass was improving greatly, which would do them well against Ravenclaw and Al had caught the Snitch three times, just to prove a point. Even Jeremiah had been impressed.

Al showered and dressed, grabbing his broom and leathers and heading back to the castle. It would be lunch time soon and Al was in the mood for a bacon sandwich. He all but skipped down the stairs to the Dungeons and collapsed onto the couch beside Scorpius, who was reading the copy of Ichabod Ivanhoe's "_Aztec Run_es" Al had bought him for Christmas.

He grinned and watched Scorpius read for a while, looking at his nose and the way it turned up ever so slightly at the end. He would have spoken but he didn't want to interrupt him. Eventually, Scorpius closed his book and grinned, turning to him.

"How did practice go?" he asked and Albus beamed.

"It was great. It's really nice out and Mike's pretty much got the Starfish down pat." He shifted and turned to face Scorpius properly, propping his broom against the edge of the couch. "If the guys keep playing like this we've got a good chance of kicking Gryffindor's arse."

"Ahh, yes," said Scorpius, nodding. "The ever-important Gryffindor arse-kicking." He removed his glasses and slipped them into his breast pocket and Al stared at him for a while before standing up and grabbing his broom.

"I'm going to put my stuff away," he said, glad when Scorpius stood and followed him to the dormitory.

"Your next game is in a couple of weeks, isn't it?" Scorpius asked as Al threw the leathers into his trunk and dropped the broom onto his bed.

"Yeah. The twelfth," he replied, turning to face Scorp. "Against Hufflepuff. Not too worried about them, though."

"Well, you've already beaten Ravenclaw," Scorpius said, sitting down on the edge of his bed. Albus watched him. "They were always your toughest competition, weren't they?"

"Yeah." Al nodded and bit his lip, suddenly overcome with the need to prove something. "Um…" he said, making his way over to Scorp's bed. "Stand up a minute."

Scorpius raised an eyebrow. "Why?" he asked, sounding sceptical. Albus just shook his head and grinned.

"Just stand up."

Scorpius pushed himself up, eyebrow still raised, but said nothing. Albus could see the curious amusement in his eyes and he had to force himself not to laugh. If he laughed he would ruin it, and he wanted to show Scorpius something.

He took a breath and steadied himself before leaning in and pressing his lips gently against Scorp's. It was a nice kiss, a slow kiss… much cleaner and less frantic than the one they had shared the other day. He was pleased by the lack of hesitation on Scorp's part, and the fact that Scorpius seemed to have picked up on his pace. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply as they kissed, raising an arm and placing his hand on Scorp's waist as lips were brushed and gently sucked on. The whole thing felt calmer and more purposeful than before and Albus could feel the pulse in his neck racing triumphantly.

They parted after a good few minutes and Albus was aware of every muscle working in his face as he smiled. "I… uh… I wanted to prove I could kiss properly," he said, realising now, after the fact, that it sounded a bit silly. Scorpius simply smiled.

"I didn't actually doubt it," he replied, and Albus chuckled. Maybe it was himself he wanted to prove it to, then. Either way, he'd enjoyed it. And so had Scorpius, by the looks of it. "Nice to know it wasn't just a one-time thing, though," Scorpius said. "I did wonder."

Al grinned at that and stepped back, looking sheepishly down at the floor. He supposed he hadn't really thought about that, but yes, he guessed there had been a part of him wondering the same thing. That question had more or less been answered now, though, hadn't it?

"Did…" Scorpius began, and Al looked up. "That is… Did you want to go to Hogsmeade next weekend? Their spring fair opens in a few days and I thought… if you want to…"

Al smiled. "Yeah. I love the spring fair."

"Alright, then," Scorpius said, nodding. "Good."

They stood, smiling at each other like idiots for a while before the door opened and Albus nearly jumped out of his skin. He quickly turned back to his bed and grabbed his broom, making a show of having only just put it down. Scorpius, he noticed, had done almost the exact same with his book.

"Hey, guys," said Jeremiah, walking over to his bed and flinging his stuff onto it. "Good practice today, huh?"

Al nodded, feeling his pulse race for entirely different reasons. "Yeah. Pretty good."

Scorpius grinned and cleared his throat. "I'll see you later," he said, making his way to the door. "And thanks."

Al watched him leave and turned his back to Jeremiah, grinning, to hide the flush he could feel creeping across his face. If people were going to be walking in on them at the drop of a hat, they were going to have to find a better place to do their kissing.

And _that_, Albus realised, was an interesting thought.


	79. Chapter 79

They'd had to share the carriage with Martins and Bluehover, making the journey seem rather longer than it probably was. Scorpius was sure he wasn't the only one who could feel the sense of tense impatience that had settled in the air around them, and as much as he tried to keep his face neutral, he couldn't help but feel his forehead crease into a frown every time the carriage stopped along its way.

"Do you think they'll have the same merry-go-round they had last year?" Bluehover asked, fiddling with her long blonde hair. Scorpius very purposefully gazed out of the window, pretending to watch the sky in order to try and avoid conversation.

"Probably," replied Al. "Though I'm looking forward to the doughnuts more."

Scorpius grinned and glanced at in Al's direction; trust him to be thinking about food when there was a fair to go to. It seemed to always be at the forefront of his mind. It was a wonder Al wasn't twice the size he was, and if thinking about food could pile on calories then he'd be even bigger.

"And toffee apples," Al added, nodding, as if clarifying the thought with himself.

"Do you always think about food?" Bluehover asked, raising an eyebrow. Scorpius looked at her for a moment, almost in shock, then quickly averted his eyes again, trying to hide the grin tugging at the corners of his lips. He watched Al and raised his eyebrows when Al turned to him, as if prompting him to answer.

"No," Al replied, sounding defensive. "I don't always think about food."

Bluehover shrugged. "It's just that you seem to talk about it a lot, and we're on our way to a fair and… you're looking forward to _doughnuts_."

Albus stared at her for a minute, then turned back to Scorpius again, obviously looking for some help. Scorpius just smiled at him.

"It's alright… if you've got some sort of food fetish. That's perfectly fine. Calum likes wearing pink underwear."

Martins' eyes widened as he turned angrily in Bluehover's direction. "Shut _up_," he growled through clenched teeth. Scorpius brought his fist to his mouth and pressed his knuckles against his lips, struggling not to laugh out loud at the bright red flush creeping across Martins' face.

"I'm just saying," said Bluehover, explaining calmly. "It's alright for Potter to like food if that's what he's into. I'm all for people embracing their own sexuality. It's perfectly healthy."

She turned to Al and gave him a smile. "I like making boys pee themselves."

The carriage went silent, and even Scorpius found he was no longer laughing. Everyone stared at Bluehover for a while, blinking, and Scorpius wondered if the other two boys were also wondering if they'd just heard what they thought they'd heard.

"Okay…" Al said after a while, obviously speaking just to break the weird silence. "Well… thanks. But I don't have a food fetish."

Bluehover shrugged and smiled sweetly. "Alright, then," she said, then turned to Scorpius. Scorpius knew what the question was going to be before she even asked it. "So," she said, cheerfully and Scorpius felt like he was being charged by a herd of Hippogriffs. "What's your fetish?"

All trace of laughter was gone from his face now and he looked blankly at her for a while, before slowly lowering his hand and swallowing hard. "I… uh… I don't really…"

"Oh, come on," she interrupted. "Potter and Cal both have a fetish…"

"I do _not_ have a food fetish!"

"And shut _up_!"

Scorpius licked his lips and turned to Al, who still looked too angry to really be concentrating too hard on his predicament. He didn't know what to say… of course he had things that turned him on, but he didn't really feel like sharing them. Not only because he didn't know Bluehover or Martins very well, but also because… well… he didn't want to scare Al. They'd only just started dating… or not dating… or kissing… or whatever. Now was not the time to bring sex into the equation… even if only in casual conversation with a third party.

"I don't really feel comfortable with this conversation," he said honestly, wanting to sink into his seat as he felt a familiar hotness creep across his own cheeks.

"Okay, sorry," Bluehover said, biting her lip. "I'll stop. We can talk about something else."

"No time," Martins said, suddenly perking up and sticking his head out the window. "We're here."

The carriage slowed and finally came to a stop next to the little crooked signpost. Martins and Bluehover climbed out first and Bluehover gave the two of them a friendly wave before running off up the path to the fair. Al turned to Scorpius when she was out sight, sporting an expression half way between amusement and total disbelief. "What was _that_?!" he asked, sounding exasperated. "D'you think she asks everyone the same thing?"

Scorpius was just glad she was gone and the pressure was off and that Albus didn't seem uncomfortable with his refusal to answer the question. He shook his head and sighed, standing and climbing down from the carriage. Albus followed.

"She likes to make guys pee? She actually gets off on that?"

Scorpius shrugged. "Apparently so."

"And Martins wears pink underwear?"

Scorpius grinned, starting on up the path towards the fair, Al keeping pace beside him.

"I don't have a food fetish, by the way," Al said suddenly, sounding very serious. The grin that had died on Scorp's face now making itself known again.

"I believe you, Al," he replied, nodding as they walked.

"Well, good." Al nodded. "Because I don't. I just like food. If it's good food, that is. I don't like all food…"

"Al," Scorpius said, stopping Al in his tracks and letting the grin spread across his face, unbidden. "I believe you."

Al grinned back and seemed to relax. They made their way to the fair and looking around, finding out exactly what was there this year. The fair the previous year had been a little bigger and Scorpius noticed that the Hex a Death Eater stand was absent. He wasn't entirely surprised, it had received a lot of complaints since it had first appeared in their second year – not because of the connection with Voldemort, but because the stall had obviously been rigged and the Death Eater statues were shooting green water at the children when the adults weren't looking.

The Shoot-a-Hoop was still there, though, and Scorpius smiled, knowing Al would be on it before too long.

They made a circuit of the fair, before deciding to go in some of the attractions. The Ghost House was not as impressive as it had been back in first year, since it was the same ghosts every year, and he and Albus had caught two of them round the back of the Leprechaun Hunt in fourth year talking about how hard it was to get good parts when one was incorporeal. The Hall of Bewitched Mirrors was amusing, but the mirrors spent most of their time swooning over Al and Scorpius didn't get much of a look in.

They finally stopped by the doughnut stand to get Albus his doughnuts and Scorpius watched as the sugar clung to Al's lips.

"I gnow I shaid I don' have a food fedish," Al mumbled around a mouthful of soggy dough. "Bu' if I did, it woul' def'en'ly be for doughnuts."

Scorpius smiled and stole a doughnut from Al's bag, taking the opportunity to close the distance between them slightly. "Do you want to go see if the Secrets of Nocturne is open?" he asked, taking a bite of his doughnut.

Al nodded and headed off towards the large, grey dome and Scorpius followed. The Secrets of Nocturne was a walk-through history of Nocturne Alley and dealt heavily with the darker, more shady dealings the area had seen through the ages. It was dark and full of winding, dimly-lit corridors and tended to attract a slightly smaller, slightly more morbid crowd.

They made their way inside the building and Scorpius paid some token attention to the exhibits as the two of them wandered along the narrow corridors. He stopped after a while when the ever-familiar Malfoy family crest shone at him from inside one of the glass cabinets. He frowned at it, annoyed that after all these years, his family's crest was still being showcased in an exhibition of dark artefacts.

He heard Al's bag rustle behind him and he turned, watching as Al licked a small mound of sugar from his thumb. "Don't look at it if it annoys you," Al said, before sucking the sugar from each of his fingers in turn.

Scorpius' expression softened and he grinned, leaning forward to kiss the sugar away from the corner of Al's mouth. He didn't manage it. They both jumped away from each other before their lips could meet as a figure rounded the corner, and Al spilled sugar all over the floor.

"Hey, you two," called Lily brightly, walking over to them. "You know, you should be more careful. If I didn't know any better I'd say I'd just walked in on some sort of smoochy action."

Scorpius felt his cheeks blaze again and he cleared his throat, looking away.

"Go away, Lily," Albus snapped, scrunching his bag up and stuffing it into his jeans pocket.

"I'm going. I don't really like this walk-through, anyway. I just followed you two."

She gave them both a wide grin. "Have fun." And with that she skipped back off the way she's come.

Scorpius bit his lip and turned to Al, feeling like his heart was about ready to leap out of his chest. "Maybe we should go back outside?" he suggested, not sure if he could handle another close call like that.

Al seemed to feel the same way, because he nodded. "Yeah."

Scorpius pushed himself away from the display case he'd thrown himself against and the two of them made their way back out to the fair.


	80. Chapter 80

"Well done, you guys," Al said, smiling as he touched down and dismounted. "Mike - excellent job on the Double Eight. And Alex – nice Porskoff. That's a Gryffindor tactic, so Hufflepuff probably won't be expecting it from us. That's good."

"And while you've been so busy watching us, what tactics have you been honing?" piped up Jeremiah from the back. Al took it in his stride, having chosen that today was too sunny, too warm, too cheery and just generally too _nice_ a day for Jeremiah's mouth to ruin it.

"I always find that spotting the Snitch first helps," Al replied, with a shrug. "And catching it first, of course. Anything other than that is mostly circumstantial."

Jeremiah closed his mouth and Al chuckled quietly to himself as he slung his broom over his shoulder and walked with the team to the changing rooms. The warm weather meant that practices were becoming sweatier and more uncomfortable, and the changing rooms slightly less pleasant-smelling as everyone undressed and threw their various clothing items onto the benches. Al grimaced as he peeled his sweater away from his sticky back and gladly climbed into the shower.

"Are we going to have time for one more practice before the game next week?" asked Ian after a while.

Al winced as the soap in his hair dripped into his eye. "Uh…" he said, rubbing it and blinking rapidly into the water. "Tuesday okay?"

"I have an assignment due for Wednesday," said Mike.

Al sighed. "Monday, then?"

"I can't do Monday," replied Alex. "I have lady plans."

"How about Wednesday evening?" Mike asked. "The day before the game. It'll keep us sharp."

Al's stomach plummeted; he had plans to study with Scorpius on Wednesday and he didn't particularly want to put them off. Logically, of course, he knew he could study with Scorpius any time, but they'd made plans. It felt somehow more official than it always had before. They'd made _plans_. Actual plans.

"Um…" he said, finally succeeding in ridding his eye of the soap. "I don't think I can manage Wednesday."

"Why not?" asked Jeremiah. Albus caught the slight frown on Jerry's face and his brain raced for some viable excuse.

"Well…" he began, awkwardly. "I have to… I have a… some work stuff."

He kicked himself. Yes, Albus. Well done.

There was a silence for a while, then Mike spoke. "Well, I suppose if we do the practice early enough I can work on my assignment afterwards."

There was a general ripple of assent from the team and Albus relaxed, feeling a lot less guilty about the whole thing than he thought he probably should. And only marginally more guilty about that. His plans with Scorpius had not been compromised, and that was the main thing.

He finished showering and dressed, packing his leathers and Quidditch robes into his bag as the others did the same. They had their next game in just over one week and Albus felt confident about it, this time. Ravenclaw had been a bad team to start the year with, but Hufflepuff had never been too much of a problem; the next game would probably be their easiest. Then they would have to start thinking about Gryffindor. But that was for later.

"Okay," Al said, picking up his broom. "If we meet here at four on Tuesday? That should give us enough time to polish up and be done in time for dinner. Everyone okay with that?"

The team nodded and he left them to get on with getting changed as he made his way to the castle. The school always seemed oddly quiet and deserted between the hours of four and seven – it was like everyone vanished into thin air and didn't appear again until the smell of food went wafting through the corridors. Albus could understand. He reached the stairs and was about to descend when James appeared beside him, obviously having run to catch up.

"Careful," Albus warned. "You're about to cross the border into enemy territory. Slytherin turf starts five steps down."

"Who is it, then?" James asked, grinning mischievously. Albus raised an eyebrow.

"Who is what?" he asked, puzzled. James' questions often had that effect.

"Your new person."

Al's knees almost buckled beneath him and he had to stop just to keep from falling over and breaking his neck on the stairs. He swallowed around his heart that had lodged itself in his throat and turned to James. "New person?" he asked, wondering if the slightly higher pitch in his voice in any way negated the nonchalance he was going for.

"Don't play dumb," James said, his grin turning into a wicked smirk. "I've been talking to Joanna. So who is it?"

Albus frowned. Joanna?

"What did she say?" he asked, gripping his broom handle tightly.

"Not much." James shrugged. "She kept saying she didn't want to talk about it."

"So why did you make her?" Al demanded, aware that nonchalance was out of the window, now. He didn't even try to hide the anger in his voice.

"So there _is_ someone else, then?" James looked infuriatingly triumphant and Albus could feel his neck tense uncomfortably.

"What did she say?" he asked again, narrowing his eyes.

"I just asked why you'd broken up. I knew there was a reason because she and Lily talk about it all the time. She said it was because you liked someone else."

"You're a prick, James."

"Is it Wilmot?"

Albus rolled his eyes and groaned, turning and heading down the stairs. James followed.

"It is, isn't it? She's all over you after matches."

"Get out of my dungeons," Albus growled, ignoring the question. There was no answer he could give, so his only option was to keep putting it off until he could get inside the Common Room and shut James out.

"Who's that other girl?" James went on, still keeping up, even as Albus quickened his pace. "That girl with the huge boobs? Maria What's-her-face. Is it her?"

"No, James," Al barked. "It's not Maria. It's not Olivia. It's none of your business who it is."

"How about that girl in Ravenclaw?"

Albus stopped and spun round, glaring at his brother and pointing the end of his broom at James' chest like some sort of weapon. "Look," he snapped, frowning, his face hot with rage. "It's really none of your business who I go out with, okay? I don't have to tell you every little detail of my life. Why do you even want to know, anyway? Why do you care?"

James' smirk faltered slightly, then vanished from his face completely. "Well, I…" He stopped, then shrugged. "I'm your big brother. I just… you know… wanna make sure you're alright."

Al looked at him for a while, a little taken aback.

"I didn't want to be all dad-like about it, though," James went on, grinning. "You know… all 'you be careful, young man' and stuff."

Al let out a small laugh, despite himself and felt the tension in his shoulders ease somewhat.

"So… is it anyone I know?" James asked, and his voice was softer this time. Al was torn. Now was not the right moment, but this was the first time James had really shown any sort of concern for him since they were both little. Al sighed and nodded.

"Yeah. Yeah, it is," he said. "But I can't really… we're not telling anyone yet."

James rolled his eyes. "Okay, fine. But I'll find out sooner or later, you know?"

And regular James was back.

Albus just sighed, suppressing a smile. "Get back to your own part of the castle," he complained. "You're dirtying up the place."

James punched him on the arm and Al frowned as he watched his brother disappear back up the corridor. He stood for a while, unsure what to do next. Joanna had told James he was seeing someone else. If she'd already told _him_, how long would it be before the rest of the school found out?


	81. Chapter 81

The victory celebrations had gone on all evening, with the usual hoards of girls and hangers-on crowding around Al as he lapped up the attention like a hungry cat. Scorpius just rolled his eyes and grinned, staying in the metaphorical wings and out of Al's way. He knew how much the attention and praise meant to Al, even if he didn't quite understand it, and he was happy to let him have his little moments of glory. He deserved it, after all; it _had_ been a spectacular catch.

"Were you worried you were going to miss it again?" asked Nott, in his usual simpering tone. Scorpius couldn't be bothered to be annoyed this time.

"Not really," replied Al, shrugging. "And even if I did, Braddock wasn't going to catch it, was he?"

There was some sniggering from the crowd and Scorpius turned to see several Hufflepuffs sneering in Al's general direction. He wasn't entirely sure why they'd decided to come to Slytherin's celebration party, since their team had just lost, but he was sure they had their reasons. Several of the Hufflepuff girls were talking amongst themselves and glancing at Al. Scorpius wondered briefly what they were saying, then realised he didn't particularly care.

"You're such a good captain," cooed Olivia Wilmot, who had been steadily edging closer to Al since the party had started. "The team must be so proud."

Scorpius saw Alexander and Edward roll their eyes and grin as Jeremiah threw a screwed-up napkin at Al's head. Olivia glared at them angrily before returning her full attention to Al and smiling like a love-sick puppy.

"Not as proud as they should be," Al joked, more to the team than to Olivia. He gave her a small smile and Scorpius could see her knees visibly tremble. It was sickening, actually. The group of Hufflepuff girls laughed and Scorpius turned to them again, noticing the way they kept whispering to each other behind cupped hands and looking in Al's direction. He frowned and turned to look at Al, trying to see what they were laughing at, but there didn't appear to be anything obvious. Nothing out of the ordinary. Perhaps they weren't laughing at Al. Scorpius shook his head and sighed, taking a sip of his pumpkin juice and leaning back against the tree. It knew it was going to be a while before Al was done preening, so he was quite happy to let him get on with it while he sat quietly in the shade.

By now Olivia had made it to the front of the group and was standing so close to Al that it looked like they might meld together if it got too hot. "Do you think you're going to win your next game, then?" she asked. Al shrugged again in an attempt at modestly, but Scorpius knew it was an act. A good one, but an act all the same.

"Well," he said. "Gryffindor are pretty tough."

"But you're tougher, right?" piped up Nott again.

Scorpius examined Nott - his stature, his wide, wonder-filled eyes, his complete and utter, hopeless devotion. If he were an animal, Scorpius was positive he'd be some sort of mindless, salivating dog. Maybe a Labrador. Or a St. Bernard. He smirked to himself.

"Of course we're tougher," Al replied, a sly grin spreading across his face. "We could beat Gryffindor with our eyes closed."

It was Lily's turn this time to throw things at Al's head, and Al laughed it off as he threw things back.

Scorpius chuckled quietly to himself and watched the fun from under his tree, feeling something inside him flutter happily every time Al smiled. Al's smile had always been special and it felt good knowing that he was now _allowed_ to think thoughts like that. He took another sip of his juice and was about to get more comfortable when two pairs of feet appeared beside him. He looked up to see two of the Hufflepuff girls grinning down at him.

"You're Al Potter's friend, aren't you?" one of them asked. Scorpius raised an eyebrow.

"Yes."

One of the girls giggled and the other one smiled a rather unsettlingly mischievous smile.

"Is it true, then?" she asked. Scorpius just looked at them, puzzled, eyebrow still raised. They seemed a few years younger than him.

"Excuse me?" he asked, unsure to what the girl was referring.

"About Al? Seeing Wilmot?"

Scorpius just continued to look at them, still not entirely sure he understood what they were talking about. He assumed they meant Olivia Wilmot.

"It's just that…" the girl went on. "Well… there's this rumour going around that the reason Al and Joanna broke up is because he was seeing someone else. Camellia said it was Wilmot and… they _do_ seem awfully close."

Scorpius felt every muscle in his body tense as if frozen solid. It took real effort for him to turn his head in Al's direction. Olivia was trying to shove her nose into Al's hair and Scorpius couldn't deny they did look awfully close. He wasn't stupid enough to believe anything was going on, but it certainly looked incriminating. He frowned and turned back to the two girls, feeling his back ache. "Al is not seeing Olivia," he said, trying not to sound as angry as he felt as their assumption. "And it's really not your business what he does, either."

"So you know who it is, then?" the girl asked, looking more interested than put off. "Was he seeing her _before_ he and Joanna broke up? Because Camellia said–"

"No," he interrupted, aware that the cup he was holding in his hand was suddenly shaking. He put it down. "He's not seeing anyone."

Scorpius could feel his pulse quicken and he pushed himself to his feet, feeling at a disadvantage sitting down when they were standing. He needed to be in control of this situation before it got out of hand. If there was already a rumour going round that Al was seeing someone else, he needed to quash it before it spread too far.

"But Camellia said–"

"Well, Camellia was wrong," he said firmly, jaw tightly clenched. He watched as the grins slowly vanished from both girls' faces and they turned and made their way back to their group.

He turned away as they started whispering amongst themselves again and searched for Al in the crowd. There were now several people trying to attach themselves to Al's side and Scorpius wondered if Al knew about this rumour. It sounded like people had already been talking for a while. He frowned and made his way back to the castle, wondering if he should mention it to Albus later. He knew they'd have to come clean at some point, but this was certainly not what he'd had in mind.


	82. Chapter 82

Albus was tired when he finally made his way down to the dungeons. The game had been brilliant, the party had been spectacular and the attention had been, as always, lapped up in a rather quietly smug fashion. They'd been ahead nearly one hundred points before the Snitch had even been spotted and Al had scooped it out of the air with an effortless grace from right under Braddock's nose. The look on Braddock's face had been priceless; it was as if he'd resigned himself to losing before the game had even started. And too right, Albus thought as he entered the Common Room and threw himself down onto the couch, everybody knew Slytherin was the better team. Really, it would have made more sense for Hufflepuff to have just forfeited the game and saved themselves a lot of unnecessary embarrassment.

The Common Room was fairly alive for this time of night, with people sitting around, talking excitedly about the game in various parts of the room. Olivia Wilmot was sitting by the fire with Maria and Aimee, giggling and occasionally looking in his direction, while his fellow team mates were dotted around the room, chatting to various people about the team's new tactics. Al smiled, feeling pleasantly lethargic and satisfyingly drained and quite happy to listen to the random happy chatter going on around him.

He leaned back against the padded leather cushions and closed his eyes, his grip on his broom loosening as he replayed the game in his head… or at least the part where he won. That was always his favourite part. He grinned to himself, ready to start reliving the praise and adulation, when the orange light shining through his eyelids went black. He cracked open an eyelid and peered up at Scorpius, who was looking slightly harassed and anxious.

"You okay?" Al asked, opening both eyes and sitting up. He knew Scorpius had never been terribly fond of the big after-match parties, so he'd thought nothing of it when he'd seen him making his way back to the castle. In fact, he'd half expected it. Had that been the wrong thing to assume?

"Can we go and talk somewhere?" Scorpius asked, giving a quick glance over his shoulder at the three girls by the fire. Albus felt his stomach plummet at the tone in Scorp's voice, suddenly finding himself not so pleasantly lethargic after all. He'd messed up. He'd done something wrong, hadn't he? He should have followed Scorpius when he'd left instead of staying at the party. Merlin… they'd only just made some sort of start and he'd already mucked things up. He opened his mouth to speak and croaked a little, before clearing his throat.

"About what?" he managed, clutching tightly to his broom.

Scorpius looked around again and shook his head. "Can we go somewhere private? Please?"

Al nodded and pushed himself to his feet, running through every possible thing he could have done wrong as he leaned his Falcon against the arm of the couch and followed Scorpius from the room. He wasn't sure where they were going, but they walked in a tense silence. He assumed they were heading for the kitchen, but Scorpius stopped when they rounded a corner and checked the corridor to make sure they were alone. Al did the same, while some part of him hoped that somebody would round corner and delay whatever blow Scorp was about to deliver.

Scorp stepped into a small alcove and Al reluctantly followed, suddenly aware that he was grinding his teeth. He forced himself to stop and looked down at Scorp's chest, just waiting.

"Have you heard, then?" Scorpius asked, finally. Albus frowned and looked up, unfamiliar with this way of breaking up. Heard what? Had Scorpius told someone else first? He simply shook his head.

"The rumour," Scorpius went on. "About you and Olivia."

Albus blinked at him for several moments, then his conversation with James raced to the front of his confused brain. James had spoken to Joanna.

"Oh…" he replied. "Um… yeah. James mentioned something." He could tell he sounded despondent but he thought, giving the circumstances, he was allowed that.

"So what are we going to do?" Scorpius asked. "If it spreads too far, people are going to start assuming it's true."

Al frowned again, not quite sure what his response was meant to be. He'd been expecting the standard 'I don't think this is working', and it hadn't come. "Um… are you… what do you mean?"

Scorpius raised an eyebrow. "That we need to stop it before people start believing it. If it gets too wide-spread it won't be fair on any of us. And Olivia will probably take it at face value."

Something in Al's brain seemed to tick over. He bit his lip and tried to stifle a small grin. "So… you're not breaking up with me?" he asked, feeling a sense of uneasy relief make its way up his spine and spread out across his shoulders.

Scorpius frowned, as if he hadn't quite heard properly, then his eyes widened. "No! I… why would you…? No…"

Al couldn't help but laugh, though he knew it was more of a nervous laugh than anything else. He felt like an idiot, but at least Scorpius wasn't breaking up with him. He could feel the flush in his cheeks as Scorpius looked at him as if he'd just confessed to murdering a small child.

"Did you think that's why I…"

Al bit his lip and looked awkwardly down at the floor. He rather wished he'd said nothing, now. Scorpius probably thought he was some sort of pathetic, insecure pansy, now, and he wasn't. He just… well… he was still finding his feet. He wanted to kick himself.

He could hear the grin in Scorp's voice as he spoke.

"I'm not the fickle sort, fortunately," he said, and Al looked up. Scorpius smiled at him and Al's eyes fixed on his thin, pointy nose for several moments before he smiled back.

"The rumour…?" he prompted, wanting to change the subject so he could stop feeling quite so ridiculous.

The smile faded slightly from Scorp's face and he sighed. "We need to tell people at some point," he said. "If this rumour becomes public knowledge then sooner or later people are going to figure out the truth and– "

Albus shook his head. "I can't…" he interrupted. "I mean… not yet. It's only a rumour and I doubt it's going to go any further…"

"Who did you hear it from?" Scorpius asked. Albus averted his eyes.

"James…"

"Well, I heard it from two fourth year Hufflepuffs. Clearly it's spreading."

Al felt the tension once again take hold and he moved to lean against the wall to take the strain off his aching back. He sighed; he knew Scorpius was right. He knew it was going to spread as soon as he'd heard James mention it, but there was no way he could tell people the truth, yet. How would they react?

"If this gets out," Scorpius continued. "It just will make things harder for us. Telling people then will be virtually impossible."

Albus looked up. "Can we…" He sighed. "Just… wait a bit?"

"How long?"

Al sighed and ran his finger through his messy black hair. "I don't know." He looked at Scorp despairingly, feeling completely at a loss for what to say. There was really no good argument he could give, except… he didn't want to. Not now. Not _yet_.

Scorpius looked at him for a while, then smiled slightly. A small, reassuring smile. "Okay," he said, nodding. "We can wait. But we have to tell people, Al. They'll find out eventually and I'd rather it came from us than someone else."

Al nodded, agreeing even though the idea didn't appeal. He could put it off until something happened, and maybe people finding out through the grapevine wouldn't be as bad as Scorpius thought. Either way, Scorp had given him more time, and that meant he didn't have to think about just yet.

He looked up again into Scorp's familiar, smiling eyes and was unsure if this was the kind of moment that called for some sort of affectionate gesture. He simply smiled back and was happy when Scorpius gave his hand a squeeze in passing before stepping out of the alcove.

They made their way back to the Common Room and Albus picked up his broom as he and Scorpius climbed tiredly up the dormitory stair and got ready for bed.


	83. Chapter 83

There was no one he could really talk to about it. He'd already spoken with Al, but since it was more or less entirely _about_ Al, there was only so far that conversation could go. And Al kept saying the same thing. Scorpius understood Al needed time – he knew how hard it had been on him and the last thing he wanted to do was pressure him – but Al wasn't even offering an approximate time-frame and that concerned him.

He needed to speak to someone else, someone he could trust and someone whose opinion would make sense, because right now he wasn't even sure he trusted his own. That left him with only one option – Lily Potter. She was the only other person who knew what was going on; he'd not even told Malcolm the latest and he wasn't entirely sure he'd feel comfortable doing so. No, Lily was his only option, so he'd made the decision to seek her out.

He kept his eyes lowered as he made his way along the corridors, not wanting to risk catching anyone's eye. He knew nobody would suspect anything but he wasn't planning on taking any unnecessary chances. The chance-taking would come later.

He had no idea if Lily would be around, it was a Thursday evening and Scorpius wasn't familiar with her social habits. He was just hoping she wasn't up in Gryffindor Tower. Unlike Al, he didn't possess the charm, wit, or sheer bull-headed audacity to get inside and it was important he talk to her soon. His mind was likely to malfunction if he didn't free up a bit of space before too long. He made his way across to the Great Hall and stuck his head in, scanning the Gryffindor table for any sign of long red hair. She wasn't there. The only redhead he could see was a small, pale, curly-haired boy who looked no older than twelve, licking chocolate off his fingers.

Scorpius frowned and made his way back across the Entrance Hall and up the stairs. He would check the library. If she wasn't there, he would check the third floor study chamber. Lily had her O. coming up, so she should be studying. After that… well, he wasn't sure where else he could check. He just hoped he found her before then.

He made his way along the corridor to the library and slipped quietly inside, scanning the hall for any sign. He walked down the centre of the room, looking at each table in turn, before checking in every alcove and secluded corner. No luck. He felt his shoulders slouch as he left the library and continued upstairs to the study chamber. He didn't use this room much, as it was often occupied by teams of Hufflepuffs who had unofficially claimed it as 'theirs'. He stepped inside and looked around, hating the way everyone raised their head and looked questioningly in his direction. The light was low in the room, making it hard to distinguish red from any other darker colour, but it was Lily's beaming smile that caught his attention.

She waved at him, her quill tucked behind her ear and the feather sticking out over her head. Scorpius made his way over and sat down beside her, doing his best to ignore the odd looks he received from the others. This room had obviously not seen a Slytherin for a while.

"Liquorice wand?" Lily whispered, holding out a brown paper bag and grinning. Scorpius shook his head.

"Um… can I talk to you for a bit?" he asked, keeping his voice low.

Lily blinked at him for a while, then her grain faded slightly. She shrugged and nodded, putting the bag back on the table and pushing herself up. Scorpius followed her from the room and down the hall, unsure exactly where they were going. They eventually stopped when they reached the Muggle Studies classroom, and Lily checked inside before signalling for Scorpius to follow her in.

"What has Al done, now?" she asked, instantly, before Scorpius had had time to prepare what he was going to say. He blinked at her for a few seconds, then shook his head.

"No, nothing," he said, his eyes wide with concern. He wasn't here to get Albus into trouble. "He hasn't done anything. It's just…" He paused and sighed. "Have you heard the rumour, yet?"

Lily perched on the edge of a nearby desk and nodded.

"I don't know what to do about it," Scorpius went on, feeling like Lily's nod had just opened a flood barrier. "I can only imagine how it started and who started it, but it's spreading, and it's Al, so it's going to keep spreading until the whole school knows and Al doesn't want to tell anyone, but it's only a matter of time before people find out the truth anyway, and I don't want people to find out like that because it would make things worse for us and–"

He stopped, realising he was rambling, and looked up. Lily was looking at him, her legs swinging underneath her. Scorpius let out a breath. "I don't want to push him into telling people if he's not ready."

"But if you don't push, you're worried he just won't tell anyone at all?"

Scorpius bit his lip and nodded. It was true. He knew they'd both agreed not tell people straight away, but it had always been Scorpius' intention to let people know when they were ready. Of course, the circumstances had changed somewhat, but that didn't alter the fact that they would eventually have to tell the truth.

"Well…" Lily shrugged. "Push him, then."

Scorpius felt his chest clench and he frowned. "I don't want to pressure him. He's still obviously coming to terms with the whole thing and I don't want to mess things up."

"He's not made of glass." Lily chuckled. "The two of you are so tentative around each other. You both act as if the other is going to break if you touch them too hard."

Scorpius' frown remained on his face. He wasn't entirely sure what to say to that.

"If you want to 'come out' to people, you're going to have to move the relationship to a place where it would make sense to. Right now, you're acting like thirteen year old girls."

Scorpius' brow furrowed further and he went to open his mouth to protest… only… he couldn't.

"How many times have you kissed?" Lily asked, still grinning and swinging her legs.

Scorpius quickly closed his mouth again as he felt a hot flush spread across his face. He bit the inside of his lip and looked uncomfortably down at the floor. "Two. No, three… nearly."

Lily sighed, exasperated. "Scorpius, you're a boy. Al's a boy. As unpleasant as it is to think about, Al's been sexually active for the past year or so, now." She paused and pulled a face. "With someone other than himself, that is."

Scorpius shifted his weight awkwardly from one foot to the other, wondering how the conversation had gone from concerns over a potentially damaging rumour to the state of Al's sex life. The hot flush had spread to his ears.

"My point is," Lily went on. "If you want to convince Al that coming out is the thing to do, you sort of have to convince him it's worth it first."

Scorpius chewed on the inside of his lip as he stared blindly down at Lily's swinging feet. She was right, of course. So far he and Al had shared two kisses and a bunch of coy glances across the classroom. What exactly did they have to admit to, yet? Perhaps that's what Al's issue was. After everything he'd given up, maybe he wanted to make sure he actually had something solid to confess to. Either way, what Lily had said made sense and he couldn't deny the feeling of excitement that came over him when he realised what that meant.

He looked up into Lily face, feeling a little self-conscious as she looked at him in obvious amusement. He suddenly didn't want to be here, knowing that she knew what he was thinking. It was slightly unsettling, and from her chuckle as she jumped back down off the desk, he could tell she knew she was making him uncomfortable, too.

"You can go, by the way," she said, shrugging. "Don't let me keep you."

Scorpius turned to leave, thankful she'd given him permission and he'd not had to slink out like some kind of idiot. He made his way back down to the dungeons and leaned with his back against the door for a while after it closed behind him. He knew he couldn't rush things… the pace was still undecided, and he would obviously stop if Al felt uncomfortable. God… he didn't even know where to start. And where? There was nowhere private enough… they'd have to sneak out after hours sometime and…

He stopped, catching sight of his reflection in the clock and noticing the bright crimson in his cheeks. He took a deep breath and pushed himself away from the door, making his way quickly and calmly over to his corner.

He would have to do a bit of thinking first.


	84. Chapter 84

Lily was right to a certain extent; the relationship did need to move forward or it would run the risk of fizzling out when coy smiles just didn't cut it anymore. However, it needed to be a gradual process. Scorpius had thought it through and while jumping in at the deep end was a terribly appealing idea, he knew it would probably prove to be quite counter-productive. Al needed to be eased into things at a pace he felt comfortable with and Scorpius was more than willing to take his time.

Albus shovelled a forkful of steak and boiled potato messily into his mouth while Scorpius rolled his eyes and set about cutting his steak into small, civilised cubes. The day had been a quiet and uneventful one and there seemed to be an air of general lethargy floating lazily around the castle. Scorpius had even found it hard to work up much enthusiasm for Arithmancy and it had always been the most engaging of his classes. Then again, perhaps it was due more to his preoccupation with his and Al's… _situation_. There was, after all, a lot to think about.

The rumour was still circulating and Al had shown no sign of making any move to stop it. Scorpius had noticed the way Olivia Wilmot blushed whenever Al entered a room, now, and the consequent bird-like chittering as she inevitably turned to talk about it with her group of friends. His gut reaction was to scowl every time he caught her making doe-eyes at Al, but he actually felt quite sorry for her. She seemed a simple enough creature, and she probably assumed the rumour was true. The longer it went on, the higher her hopes would be raised, and it hardly seemed fair. Another reason Al had to make up his mind sooner rather than later.

Scorpius pushed a bit of potato idly round his plate as he stared almost blindly down at Al's rolled up shirt sleeve.

"What do you think Leprechauns spend their gold on?" Al asked, out of the blue. Scorpius blinked and looked up.

"Excuse me?"

"Well," Al said, shrugging. "They have all that gold stashed away, right? And if anyone else gets hold of it, it vanishes. They clearly don't want people stealing it. So… what do you think they spend it on?"

Scorpius raised an eyebrow for a moment, then sighed. "I have no idea," he replied. "Maybe boots? Or… new hats? Perhaps they just like the look of it."

"That would be disappointing," Albus said, frowning. "I was picturing some sort of Leprechaun Hogsmeade, where everything was little and green and every café served potatoes."

Scorpius rolled his eyes and shook his head, grinning slightly at Al's rather quaint Irish stereotype. Al sighed and went back to jabbing at his food. The sense of burden radiating from him was obvious; it had been since their talk nearly two weeks ago. It was an air Albus often exuded when he felt put-upon and Scorpius wasn't sure he felt it was wholly warranted.

They got through the rest of dinner and dessert in relative silence, and it wasn't just them. It seemed the whole school had fallen into the same funk and apart from the occasional quip or yawn, the only sound to disturb the silence was the sound of cutlery scraping against hundreds of plates. After dinner, they made their way back down to the Common Room and Albus trudged upstairs to the dormitory. Scorpius followed and leaned against the post of Al's bed as Al flopped down onto it, closing his eyes and letting out a long, deep breath.

His instinct to remark on Al's self-pity was quietened when Al opened his eyes and looked at him.

"Jamie asked if I was seeing Olivia, today," he said, sounding deflated. Scorpius raised an eyebrow.

"What did you say?"

"I said no, of course," Al replied. "What else could I say?"

Scorpius looked at him for a while, then sighed, sitting down on the end of Al's bed. He didn't have the energy to point out the obvious. Albus shifted slightly, then collapsed back down onto the mattress, staring up at the canopy.

"You think I'm a coward, don't you?" Al asked after a while. Scorpius frowned.

"I don't think that at all."

"But you think I should have told people by now."

There was a silence and when it continued for more than a few moments, Albus raised his head. "Don't you?"

Scorpius rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly and moved further onto the bed, pulling the curtains closed and lying down beside Al, his cheek pressed against Al's shoulder. "Yes, I do," he said, plainly, aware of the way Al's body tensed slightly at this new form of closeness. It was only temporary, he noticed thankfully, and that was progress. "I think you should tell the truth before it gets out of hand and people get hurt."

Albus was silent and Scorpius watched the way his brow furrowed so deeply it almost looked uncomfortable. He took another chance, a small chance, and lifted his hand to give Al's arm a gentle squeeze. There was no tension that time.

"I just…" Al began, sounding flustered. "I have… well… everyone knows me. And… everyone knows me as Al Potter, the guy who plays Quidditch and is Harry Potter's kid and who goes out with girls."

Scorpius decided it was best to remain silent. Al obviously needed him to listen.

"I don't know how people would take the news that… that Al Potter is… well… whatever it is I am. That I'm going out with a boy." He turned to Scorpius and Scorpius could feel Al's breath against his forehead. "They might hate me."

Scorpius sighed. "They won't hate you," he said, plainly. "They might be a bit uncomfortable, but it's not as if you've committed murder. They'll get used to it."

Albus looked at him for a while and Scorpius could still smell the gravy on Al's breath. "Please tell them soon?" he asked, giving Al's arm another comforting squeeze.

Albus bit his lip, still frowning, then nodded. Scorpius moved closer and kissed him, quite liking the way Al raised his head to meet him in response. It was a brief kiss, but a nice kiss - a comfortable kiss and Scorpius smiled at the taste of steak on Al's tongue.


	85. Chapter 85

Albus realised that casting surreptitious glances at your neighbours when showering was likely to be frowned upon, but he couldn't seem to help it. He was trying to gauge them, to see if he could tell, simply by their demeanour and body language, how each of them would take it. He hadn't yet come to any conclusion.

None of them had been on top-form during practice, which they all put down to the ominous-looking rain clouds hovering threateningly in the distance. Al was thankful for that much, since he knew his lack of concentration had had very little to do with the weather. He'd been quite distracted throughout the day, actually – and the previous four – going over and over his conversation with Scorp in his head until it was all he could think about. Scorpius was right – of course he was – but knowing that didn't help him in any way. It was still him who had to 'come out'.

Albus quickly averted his eyes when Jeremiah turned in his direction, not wanting to get himself into more trouble than he was already in for. It would be far from funny if, on top of everything else, Jeremiah thought he'd been staring at his arse.

"Well," Jeremiah said, stepping out of the shower and grabbing a towel. "Since today was sort of pathetic, I vote we have another practice on Saturday. What do you think?"

The team mumbled their assent and Albus nodded, staring at the wall straight ahead. That was a good idea, since their next match was just over a month away and this would be Ian and Mike's last ever game. It wouldn't do to lose that one – _especially_ to Gryffindor. James would never let him hear the end of it.

The sound of flowing water grew gradually quieter until Albus realised he was the only one left still standing in the shower. He frowned and turned off the water, grabbing his towel and drying himself off.

"So Saturday is official?" Mike asked and Albus blinked at him for several seconds, before remembering what he was talking about.

"Uh… yeah…" he said, nodding."Saturday is… is good. One o'clock okay?"

The others nodded and continued getting dressed. Albus pulled on his boxers and jeans and ran his towel absent-mindedly over his hair as he frowned down at the floor. He'd not actually said anything to them, yet. He should probably hurry up and do it before they left.

"See you guys on Saturday, then," said Craig, making his way to the door. Albus looked up, knowing he should call him back before he disappeared. He meant to. He'd formed the 'w' of 'wait' on his lips and everything, but for some reason the rest of the word didn't want to follow. He just stared at the empty doorway for a few moments, then sighed, his shoulders slumping as he sunk into the bench. He was pathetic. Scorpius was probably right… people wouldn't really hate him, would they? Would they?

They might.

He could feel his forehead ache and he rubbed his fingers over it, trying to ease the tension in his eyebrows. Why was this so hard?

Slowly, each member of the team left the changing room and Al's urge to stop them grew less and less, until it was just him and Alex left. Al pulled on his t-shirt and leaned back against the wall, sighing miserably and staring up at the ceiling.

"Sickle for 'em," Alex said after a while, bringing Al out of his reverie. He tore his eyes away from the ceiling and looked at his team-mate, not sure if he wanted to speak or just sit there in silence until Alex got bored of waiting and left. Maybe if he just looked at him long enough Alex would somehow know what the matter was and would tell other people _for_ him. That would be handy.

When Alex raised an eyebrow, signalling that he was waiting for something, Albus realised he was going to have to talk. He shifted and sat up slightly, throwing his towel onto the bench beside him. "I'm not going out with Olivia," he said, having no idea if this was the ideal place to start.

Alex paused for a moment, then continued drying his hair. "Okay," he said, plainly. Albus watched him for a while, feeling his brow tense and furrow yet again.

"It's just…" Al continued, pressing his back into the stone wall. "It's just a lot of people have been saying I am."

He watched as Alex nodded and threw his towel into his bag without even looking at him. Albus sighed again and felt his heart sink. He couldn't tell him. Not when Alex was so casually going about his business and only half-listening. He sank back against the wall, feeling deflated and slightly sick. "But I'm not…" he finished, aware of how pathetic his anecdote had been. Alex didn't seem to have noticed, though. Al watched as Alex finished putting his things away and threw his bag over his shoulder.

"So Saturday, then?" he asked, and Al nodded, sitting back and watching as Alex rounded the changing room door and was gone.

It was a good half an hour before Albus finally dragged himself back to the castle; his bag slung lazily over one shoulder and his Falcon over the other. A strange, inexplicable anger had taken seed somewhere in his gut and he had no idea to what or whom it was directed. Probably himself. All he knew was that he wanted to hit something. Either that, or curl up in his bed sheets and stay there for a while. He should have told them. He'd told himself he was going to tell them and there was no logical reason why he hadn't.

Well… there was, actually. Something he'd not put a finger on until then.

He had more to lose from this than Scorpius did.

He slowed down as he made his way along the corridors, towards the stairs. That was a very valid point. He'd not really thought about it before. Scorpius had no one to tell, because Scorpius had very few actual friends. If Scorpius had come out as gay before now, any judgement on his character would have gone practically unnoticed, and that was the key difference. By telling people the truth, Albus was taking a risk that Scorpius would never have had to take. This was harder for him than it was for Scorpius and Scorp hadn't seemed to have taken that into consideration. Perhaps he should point it out to him.

He gripped his broom handle tighter as he made his way down to the dungeons and into the Common Room. Scorpius was sitting at his table in the back and Al dropped his bag and his broom onto the couch before walking over and standing beside him. He was ready to state his case and argue it if it came to that, but then Scorpius looked up at him and smiled and Albus couldn't help but feel like he'd let him down again. His words vanished and he found his reasoning collapsing pathetically around him.

"Hi," Scorpius said, taking off his glasses and sliding into his shirt pocket. "How was practice?"

Albus felt himself sink into the chair beside him and smile tiredly. "Alright," he said, leaning on the desk. He could smell Scorpius on the parchment under his nose and he closed his eyes, moving closer to the warmth of Scorp's right arm.

"You should go to bed if you're tired," Scorpius said, and for the briefest of moments Albus felt fingertips brush against his scalp. Scorpius was probably right. Bed definitely sounded like a good idea. He sat back up and nodded, wishing now that he'd told Alex when he'd had the chance. He'd come here ready to argue his case, but his case now seemed weak and flimsy and he felt like he'd failed again. There was no point telling Scorpius that, though. Neither that he'd failed nor that he'd been planning to tell the team, anyway.

"Yeah," he said, pushing himself up and instantly missing the closeness. He thought back to a few days before, when Scorpius had lain next to him on his bed, and he wished he knew of a way to ask for that. It would feel nice right about now, he thought. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."

He smiled and walked tiredly up to the dormitory, climbing into bed and curling up under the sheets. He realised it really didn't matter who was risking what now, because to get to this point they'd both already risked losing each other.

He closed his eyes and sighed as he imagined Scorp's nose pressed gently against his neck.


	86. Chapter 86

Saturday came and went. As did the following week. Albus had yet to tell people the truth and despite the lack of any obvious pressure from Scorpius' side, Albus couldn't help but feel as if the weight on his shoulders was getting steadily heavier and heavier. His back was actually starting to ache.

By the time the next Saturday rolled round, Albus' whole body felt as if it had been tied into a giant knot and even walking seemed stiff and uncomfortable. What he wouldn't have given for a massage. It was some small comfort, at least, that it was a Hogsmeade weekend, and practically the whole school had decided to take advantage of the warm weather, leaving just him, Scorpius and a few seventh year girls lounging in the Slytherin Common Room. Scorpius was sitting next to him on the couch, reading a book, and the girls all seemed to be in deep conversation, sat round the large table in the centre of the room. Albus sighed and turned on his side, sinking further down into the leather of the couch and wondering if he could get away with just never speaking ever again. Perhaps he could say he'd lost his voice or something.

Scorpius raised an eyebrow and cast a sideways glance at Al, who suddenly felt chastened, as if Scorpius could tell what he was thinking. Neither of them said anything, though; Albus knew Scorpius was only too aware of how he was feeling and asking what was wrong wasn't going to get them anywhere. Scorpius went back to his book and Albus shifted slightly closer, pushing himself up a little so he could look at Scorp's book. "What are you reading?" he asked, leaning against Scorp's arm. The warmth felt nice.

"It's another of Ivanhoe's books," Scorpius said, turning it over to reveal the cover. "He compares the runes of different historical cultures and how they differ from the ones we use today. It's really quite fascinating."

Albus grinned, amused at Scorpius' idea of what was fascinating, but said nothing. Instead, he raised his eyebrows and nodded. "Yeah. Fascinating," he agreed. "Um… so… is this for class or something?"

Scorpius shook his head. "No," he said, opening the book back up. Albus scanned a few lines over Scorp's shoulder.

_Older runes were written to reflect that which was important to a particular culture. The Aztecs, for example, would find no use in runes written by an ancient Egyptian hand, as the two cultures had very differing belief systems._

Albus pulled a face and stopped reading, once again finding himself utterly at a loss as for how Scorpius could possibly find that stuff interesting. He let out a breath and leaned back against the couch again, wishing there was something he could suggest to make the day more entertaining. They could go out, he supposed. It wasn't too late to get a carriage into Hogsmeade, or they could go and sit by the lake. It was nice in the spring and they wouldn't have to worry about other people constantly disturbing them, either.

He watched as Scorpius turned a page in his book and pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. They wouldn't ever fall off his nose, Albus thought, because of the way it turned up slightly at the end. Like a little ski ramp. He smiled as he watched him and was suddenly struck with the need to kiss him. He turned to look at the girls sitting at the table and wondered if there was a way to get rid of them without making them suspicious. Short of ordering them to leave, there wasn't really much he could do, and they'd most likely laugh at him for trying, anyway.

He turned back to Scorpius and grinned.

Scorpius continued reading until he reached the bottom of the page, before looking up at him. "Yes?"

"Want to go upstairs?" Albus asked, biting his lip to keep the grin spreading too far across his face. He didn't think the crazy look would be terribly enticing. He felt his whole body tense as Scorpius looked thoughtfully down at his book, wondering if he'd just made an idiot of himself and if Scorpius really was too engrossed in boring rune history to be parted from it. The small, knowing smile that appeared on Scorp's face, however, was all the reassurance Al needed.

"Okay," Scorpius replied, closing his book and removing the glasses from his nose. He stood, and Albus followed him to the dormitory, feeling a sense of excitement trickle over him as he closed the door behind him. The room was empty, as expected, and hopefully they had time before the others would be getting back. It was only mid-afternoon, after all. Albus stood with his back to the door for a while, watching Scorpius as Scorpius watched him. There was a brief moment where they both seemed to be waiting to see what the other would do, but when they moved in, it was at the same time and at the same speed, and Albus could only assume Scorpius' lips hurt just as much as his as they were pressed against teeth as they kissed.

It felt somewhat freeing, knowing they were in no danger of interruption and could take as long as they wanted. Albus found it was rather nice knowing he didn't have to settle for a stolen peck on the cheek, and from the way Scorpius' tongue was working its way, rather forcefully, into his mouth, he could only assume Scorp felt the same. He stepped in closer, feeling the warmth of Scorpius' torso pressed against his and moved his arms to Scorp's waist, keep him in place, as if he thought he might lose the heat if he didn't hold on. It was a comforting heat, a reassuring heat, and the grip on his upper arms was even better; he could even feel the sweat on Scorp's palms through the fabric of his t-shirt. It was quite incredible, really.

Scorp's eyes were closed and Albus wasn't sure if he should close his, too, or watch. To see Scorpius' face so close. He could see Scorp's nose just beside his own, even if it was just out of the corner of his right eye, and he could see several blurred stands of blond hair dangling just in front of his face. But Scorp's mouth was pressed hard against his, and he could feel teeth tugging and pulling at his bottom lip, causing him to hiss into Scorp's mouth as his whole body seemed to tingle and vibrate with something to intensely familiar, so amazingly recognisable, something so…

Al's eyes widened and he broke the kiss, feeling his face burn as he realised exactly what that 'something' was.

Scorpius frowned. "Are… what's wrong?" he asked, clearly concerned. Albus wasn't sure what to say. His jeans were uncomfortably tight, though and he wished he could sit down. Scorpius looked at him for a moment, confused, then seemed to understand, because he looked down at the rather obvious bulge in Al's trousers and smirked. "Oh," he said, letting out a small laugh. "I see."

Albus felt his face burn even hotter at that and he wanted the ground to open up and swallow him. What kind of a response was that? What the hell was he meant to do, now? "Well, if you're going to laugh…" he said, turning for the door, but Scorpius grabbed him by the arm.

"I'm not laughing at you, Al," Scorp said, and Al turned back to look at him. There was still a grin on his face.

"It's not funny," Al complained, a little unhappy with the look of obvious amusement in Scorp's eyes. He shouldn't be amused, this was incredibly embarrassing.

Scorpius chuckled again. "It is a little bit funny," he said, nodding. Albus scowled, but Scorpius simply pulled him over to the bed and sat him down. "You don't have to be embarrassed, though. It's alright."

Albus suddenly felt his heartbeat race as Scorpius climbed onto the bed beside him and reached for the button on his jeans. He closed his mouth and bit the inside of his lip as he felt Scorp's hand brush against the head of his cock through his boxers. His face was still burning and he wasn't sure what to do with himself, but then Scorpius was kissing him again and he let him, returning the kiss gladly and letting out a small, throaty whimper as Scorpius reached inside his underwear and wrapped his hand around him.

It was strange, he thought, that it would feel so familiar and yet so entirely different to anything he'd ever felt before. Perhaps it was the feel of Scorp's skin that was different, or the technique, or maybe the fact that Scorpius was a boy and he'd never been touched like this by a boy before. But it was nice. The kiss remained light and gentle, lips now only ghosting over each other as Scorpius worked his hand in a steady rhythm up and down Al's cock.

Al fought the urge to move for only a few moments, then gave in and rocked his hips into Scorp's hand, still aware that his heart was beating ten million miles a second, but now finding that he cared slightly less about it. Scorp's hand felt too good and it almost didn't matter that when he came, he came all over the front of his jeans. They were still kissing and when the lips finally moved away, Albus realised that he had one hand curled round the back of Scorp's neck.

Neither one of them spoke for a few moments, then Albus smiled, feeling both incredibly happy and slightly awkward. That had been an entirely unexpected incident and now he wasn't sure if he was meant to comment on it or not. Thankfully, Scorpius saved him the trouble.

"Um…" he said, grinning. "Was that… okay?"

This time it was Al's turn to laugh. "Yeah." He nodded. "It was good. It was really…. Yeah."

They both chuckled and Al looked down at the mess on his trousers. "I should probably…"

"Yeah," Scorp agreed, nodding. "Before it dries."

Al turned to Scorpius again and looked at him for a second before kissing him on the nose and heading to the bathroom.

What an unexpectedly good day it had turned out to be.


	87. Chapter 87

Biting his nails had never been a habit of his, but Al found that he'd spent more time chewing on the ends of his fingers than paying any attention to what Professor Hawksworth had been saying. Something about Muggle radios? He'd taken down virtually no notes and the ink on the end of his quill had dried up, but he didn't really care. Today was the day. He'd made up his mind when he'd got out of bed that morning and he wasn't going to chicken out this time.

Of course, this meant that his mind had been in a perpetual state of panic all morning, all the way through lunch, and now into the afternoon. Muggle Studies was his last class of the day, and the end of it – which was rapidly approaching – meant he'd have nothing more to stall for.

He'd already decided to talk to Alex first, since he had always been less boisterous than the rest of the team and Al didn't think he could handle telling them all at once. He'd briefly considered telling James, but he wasn't entirely sure he trusted him not to over-react and tell the whole school. He was a good brother, but an intense idiot at times. No, telling Alex made the most sense, and Albus had done nothing but think about it all day.

He almost wished Lily didn't already know – telling her would have been so much easier.

"So you see, what the Muggles call 'radio waves', we take for granted as magic, but the two are very similar in terms of frequency. The radio waves used for television broadcasts, for example, and microwave ovens, travel at almost the same frequency as the Wizarding Wireless Network – what the Muggles would call 'ultra high frequency'. The same can be seen…"

Al removed his finger from his mouth and spat a bit of nail into his hand. Everyone around him was scribbling away and Albus wondered if maybe working would have actually been more conducive to stress relief than almost eating his own hands. He sighed, dipped his quill back into the inkwell and started taking half-hearted notes, writing down words like 'megahertz', 'time signals', 'radar' and 'terahertz time-domain spectroscopy'. He didn't even know what that meant, but he would have gladly gone on taking notes than reach the end of class. Unfortunately, the universe seemed to be against him, because not only did the end of class come, it came entirely too soon.

Al clutched his quill almost to the point of snapping as Hawksworth's voice rang through the classroom.

"Alright then, class," he said as everyone hurried to shove their books into their bags. "Don't forget, I want a two foot essay on the differences and similarities between Muggle and Wizarding radio for next week."

Albus stared down at his own book and parchment for a while, before slowly packing them away. He was not looking forward to this, but he'd made himself – and Scorpius – a promise, and he intended to keep it. With a sigh, he pushed himself to his feet and made his way over to Alex's desk. Alex looked up at him and smiled briefly, before the smile turned into a look of quizzical concern. "You alright?" he asked, and Al shrugged.

"Can I talk to you for a bit?"

Al saw Alex stiffen slightly. "Is this about my performance last practice?" he asked, suddenly sounding a bit panicked. "Because I had a cold and my head was all fuzzy."

Al shook his head. "It's not about that. It's about…" he stopped and looked around, making sure no one else was listening. "It's about me and… the person I'm seeing." He felt his gut twist uncomfortably and wondered if fainting would be a good enough excuse for not telling. Unfortunately, his body remained stubbornly conscious.

Alex looked at him for a while, then nodded. "Want to go outside or something, then?"

Al had been thinking of the library, but outside was probably a safer bet. The library was always busy straight after class and what they needed was somewhere quiet and secluded. He nodded and he and Alex both made their way out to the Quidditch pitch. He was expecting a grilling on which girl he was seeing, but Alex was surprisingly quiet as they walked. Al wasn't sure if this was a good thing or a bad; either way, it made bringing it up slightly easier.

Alex leaned against one of the stands as they reached the pitch and Al fought the urge to pace as he, too, leaned against the stand. He needed to be calm when he did this… or at least appear calm. If he could treat this as no big deal, maybe the others wouldn't take it as such. It _was_, of course, but they didn't need to know that. It was just two people in a relationship and that's all that mattered.

"So, what's up?" Alex asked, and Al pulled his robe into his hand and balled the fabric in his sweaty palm.

"Okay," Al said, swallowing past the solid lump in his throat. "Well, you know how there's this rumour going around that I'm dating Olivia?" He could feel his knees start to tremble slightly and he was glad he was already leaning against the stand. Alex nodded.

"Well," he went on. "I'm not."

Alex raised an eyebrow. "That's it?" he asked, sounding unimpressed. "I knew that. It's fairly obvious from the way you never talk to her. Was that your secret?"

Al rolled his eyes. "Obviously not." He shook his head and turned to face the goalposts at the far end of the pitch. "It' who I _am_ dating that's the secret."

There was a short silence and Albus just stared at the goalposts, hoping the inevitable question would never come.

"So… who is it?"

Al took a deep breath and forced himself to let go of the fabric bunched in his hand.

"It's Scorpius," he said, as plainly as he could, as nonchalantly as if it had been any female name. His heart threw itself against his ribcage and he bit the inside of his lip to keep from verbalising his physical discomfort. He remained staring at the goalposts for several moments longer, before turning to face Alex.

Alex was looking at him as if he'd just been hit in the face with a surprise snowball. He blinked several times, before averting his eyes, as if suddenly not knowing where to look. Albus did not feel any less stressed by this reaction. He waited for several moments, and when there was no reply, he went on.

"I'm… I'm not any different, you know? I mean… it's not… it's not like anything has changed." God, had he made a mistake telling Alex? The reaction wasn't exactly filling him with confidence.

"I know," Alex nodded, looking awkwardly down at the grass. "It's just… well…" he frowned, then looked at Al again. "I thought, you know… you liked girls?"

"I do," Al replied quickly, nodding. "I do like girls. I don't really know…"

"So, are you gay?"

"No!" Al cut in, and promptly felt awful for the vehemence in his voice. He closed his eyes and scrunched his face up, hiding it in his palm before taking another deep breath and staring again. "I'm not gay, and I do like girls," he said, talking more slowly now, for his own benefit more than for Alex's. "But… I… well… Scorpius is… he's special to me. I don't know what I am, if this makes me bisexual or something, but I'm… I'm attracted to him. He's… I'm… I'm going out with him, I guess. I mean, I _am_ going out with him, but… it's just... nobody knows, yet."

Alex nodded and raised his eyebrows. "And why did you tell me, then? You don't think I'm… you know… as well, do you?"

Al frowned and shook his head. "No," he said, annoying at the assumption. "I told you because I needed to tell someone and I don't really feel comfortable telling the others, yet. You're… well… I trust you." He felt slightly foolish trying to explain why he'd chosen him over anyone else, and wary of the fact that his reasoning might be taken wrongly in the context of the discussion. "You don't have to do anything about it," he went on. "Just be normal, like before."

"And are you going to tell anyone else or do I now have to keep this secret, too?" Alex asked. "Because I'd rather you hadn't told me if that's the case."

Al bit his lip. He hadn't really thought that far ahead. Realistically, he knew he couldn't really stop here, but he didn't like the idea of having to have this conversation again with someone else. And Alex was right, it wasn't fair to saddle him with this information and then swear him to secrecy. "I'll… I'll tell the others," Al said, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck nervously. "You can… I have to tell people about this, anyway. The rumour is going to get out of hand otherwise."

"Is it true, then, that you left Joanna for Scorpius?" Alex asked. Albus just nodded. He could hardly lie about it, now.

"Do you… you know?" Alex asked, and Al looked up, frowning.

"Does it matter?"

"Well," Alex replied, shrugging. "Is it different to a girl?"

Albus wasn't sure he wanted to have this conversation. He shifted his weight uncomfortably from one foot to the other and furrowed his brow slightly. "It's a bit different," he said. "But mostly not. Let's not talk about it, though, okay?" Telling him had been bad enough; he didn't particularly fancy discussing the specifics.

Alex shrugged and nodded and Al let out a small sigh of relief. "Okay, well… thanks." He gave Alex a small smile. "Sorry if I made you uncomfortable."

Alex smiled back and shook his head. "Nah, it's alright. You're still our Al. I'm sure the rest of the team will be alright."

Al felt the knot in his stomach loosen at that and the muscles in his back unclench. He didn't like that he still had the rest of the team to tell, but it was a relief to know he'd made a start. And he'd kept his promise. Now he could go back to Scorpius and tell him the news.

Maybe they could even find somewhere to be _alone _again.


	88. Chapter 88

He'd locked himself in the bathroom on Sunday morning, before anyone else had woken. A mere unlocking charm would open the door, of course, so he'd taken precautions. He'd wet his hair before starting and had an emergency towel draped over the sink, just in case. That way, if anybody _did_ come in, he could throw the towel around his waist and pretend he'd just decided to take a shower. At four in the morning.

He'd stood, staring at the mirror for a few minutes, trying to disassociate himself from the naked body reflected in it. This wasn't meant to be his body he was looking at, but Scorp's. If he squinted, the little freckle below his collarbone even disappeared. He'd been glad to note that looking at this naked body – this naked body that _wasn't_ his; _Scorp's_ naked body – had felt entirely natural.

When he'd touched himself, he'd concentrated on the feel of skin under his hand, watching the way his fingers splayed over mirror-Scorp's bare chest. He'd focused on the sensation in his fingertips, blocking out those in his chest, stomach and neck as he'd traced his hands over them. He'd explored every contour; the hardness of a chest, the straight line of a waist – not soft and curved like a girl's body. He'd imagined what effect his touches would have on Scorpius and when he'd reached down between mirror-Scorp's legs, he'd tried hard to concentrate on the pulsing against his palm instead of the tight heat around his cock.

The illusion had been shattered when he'd started to move his hand, however, and when he came he'd almost collapsed against the mirror.

He'd climbed back into bed with a smile on his face, though, because what had turned him on was not his own hand on his body, but the thought of his hands on _Scorp's_.

* * *

The weather had been impeccably nice that week. Concentrating in class had been particularly hard, because all Al could think about was being outside. It seemed he wasn't the only one.

Lunchtimes had seen almost the entire student body sitting outside in the sun instead of in the Great Hall. Some of them had grabbed sheets from their beds to use as picnic blankets and had chosen to take their meals outside. Al couldn't blame them, in fact, he and Scorp found themselves following suit on several occasions. And when classes were over and they were free for the day, it was more of the same.

Summer was definitely on its way.

Al had picked a relatively quiet spot for Scorpius and himself over by the Quidditch stands. They were by no means hidden, but they were far enough away from the crowd so as to not have to worry about being overheard. Scorpius was leaning back on his arms and Al was on his stomach, propping his chin up in his hands and watching Scorpius quite happily.

"Are you going to France again this summer?" he asked, smiling. Scorpius shrugged.

"Probably," he replied. "It's usually that or Italy."

Albus chuckled at the blasé way Scorpius spoke of foreign travel. It had always amused him.

"What about you?" Scorpius asked, grinning. "Surfing again?"

"More than likely. Mum and dad aren't really into the whole travelling thing. Dad does a lot of it for work, anyway, so he says he likes to take it easy when we're home." Albus sighed. He'd never really gone anywhere exciting. Apart from visiting Rose and Hugo in Hampshire, his Gran and Granddad in Devon and Joanna in Durham, he'd not really been anywhere except home and school. Travelling to somewhere like France or Italy sounded incredibly exciting. "I'd quite like to go to France some time," he said. "What's it like?"

Scorpius looked down at him and smiled. "It's quite nice, really. We always go to the south of France, though. It's very warm there."

"Have you ever been to Paris?"

Scorpius nodded. "A few times. It's nice enough, I suppose."

Albus raised an eyebrow. "You suppose?" He rolled onto his side, still looking at Scorpius, watching the way his brow furrowed slightly. He wanted to reach up and smooth the creases from his skin.

"There are a few too many people for my liking. Mostly Muggle tourists. And they have awful manners in Paris. Very arrogant."

Albus burst out laughing and quickly covered his mouth with his hand in a poor attempt to hide it. Scorpius turned to him and his frown deepened.

"I hope that's a completely unrelated thought you're laughing at…"

Al shook his head and removed his hand. "The fact that you can live with your father and still call other people arrogant is hilarious."

"My father is not arrogant," Scorpius protested. "He's a businessman. It's his job to remain professionally aloof."

"He must take his job very seriously, then." Albus snorted, then relented, seeing the frown on Scorp's face deeper even further. He rolled onto his back and reached up, stroking Scorp's cheek. "I'm only joking," he said, giving him a small smile. He felt the muscles in Scorp's cheek twitch as he smiled back and was suddenly overcome with the urge to move his fingers just a fraction to the left and run then over Scorp's pointy nose. He felt that would be a rather odd thing to do, though, so he removed his hand from Scorp's face before the temptation became too great.

He was about to move when he felt fingers in his hair. He looked up at Scorpius and bit his lip. "I told Alex on Friday," he said, unsure how the news would be taken.

Scorpius looked at him for a few moments, clearly puzzled. "Told Alex what?" The fingers were still in his hair, sliding through it and over Al's scalp.

"Well… about us," Al replied. "I spoke to him after Muggle Studies. He… he was okay with it." Al offered a small smile, hoping he'd done right. Scorpius seemed to mull the news over in his head for a few seconds, before smiling back and nodding.

"Thank you," he said, giving Al's scalp a gentle scratch. A pleasant shiver ran down the length of Al's body and he sighed happily.

"Does anyone else know, yet?" Scorpius asked.

"I told Alex he could tell people and that I would be telling more people," Al replied. "I don't know if he's told anyone else, though." Al watched as Scorpius looked round.

"Well, no one's looking at us," Scorpius said. Albus was happy to take his word for it since he didn't want to sit up and lose the fingers massaging his scalp. "Who else are you going to tell?"

Albus shrugged. "The rest of the team first, I think. Maybe James…" To be honest, he hadn't thought long and hard about the order in which he intended to tell people, but it seemed logical that he start with the team. Telling James had really been more of an afterthought, but he could hardly keep it from his own family, could he? "Are you going to tell anyone?"

"I can tell Malcolm," he said. Albus frowned.

"Who's Malcolm?" he asked. He didn't know a Malcolm. There was no Malcolm in Slytherin. Did he have class with a Malcolm?

"Malcolm Myneworth," Scorpius replied. "He's a Ravenclaw. He's in my History of Magic class. We study together sometimes."

Albus sat up at that, aware that he was still frowning. "Why haven't I heard of this Malcolm?" he asked, sounding slightly more accusatory than he probably should have. Scorpius just chuckled.

"Relax," he said, grinning. "He's a friend. But it's nice to know you care enough to be jealous."

Albus pouted and lay back down. "I'm not jealous," he said. "Malcolm just sounds like the name of a shifty person, that's all."

He ignored Scorp's amused laugh and continued to frown until the fingers were once again in his hair.


	89. Chapter 89

Scorpius chuckled to himself as Malcolm waved at him from across the library. Albus had been jealous. It made him feel both pleasantly tingly and immeasurably smug to know their relationship had reached the point of jealousy – however unjustified. Albus had asked a lot of question about Malcolm that evening, obviously trying to sound as casual as possible. Finally, after several hours, Scorpius had managed to convince him there was nothing going on between himself and the Ravenclaw and had spent the rest of the evening grinning to himself.

Malcolm smiled as he pulled out a chair and took a seat beside Scorpius, shrugging his bag onto the table. "Hey," he said, slumping back in his chair and blowing the hair from his eyes. "Good day?"

"Yeah," Scorpius replied, nodding. It seemed every day had been a good day recently. He dipped his quill into his inkwell and watched as Malcolm unpacked. "What did you have today?" he asked, eyeing the particularly large, leather-bound tome Malcolm had placed on the table.

"Just came from Muggle Studies, but this is from last night's Astronomy class," he said, tuning the book over. "To be honest, I'm not really looking forward to reading it; it was written in eighteen thirty nine or something."

Scorpius leaned over to look at the cover. '**_Barnabas Bennet's Complete History of the Skies.'_**** It certainly looked complete, if the bulk of it was anything to go by.**

**"We spent ages last night looking at the tails of shooting stars," Malcolm went on. "And now we're meant to read the section on comets and meteors and it's about sixty pages long."**

**Scorpius grinned. As with Divination, Scorpius had never had much of an interest in Astronomy. It had its roots based more solidly in academia than Divination, but both were far too loosely structured and unsure for his liking. "Will drawing help much with that?" he asked, not envying Malcolm his work at all. Scorpius was all for studying, but only when it dealt with subjects ****_he_**** found interesting. Like Potions. Potions was a fascinating subject.**

**Malcolm shrugged. "All comets look pretty much the same, really, don't they?" He unrolled a piece of parchment and pushed it toward Scorpius. "Look."**

**Scorpius pulled the parchment over and looked at the scribbled notes and hurried doodles.**

**"I started drawing meteors but got to about four and realised I was essentially drawing the same thing over and over again."**

**Scorpius look at the four identical drawings and the half-circle that trailed off into a wobbly line underneath that had clearly been the beginning of the fifth. Scorpius couldn't really comment on meteors or shooting stars, but he had to admit, the pictures differed very little. "How much have you read, so far?" he asked, passing the parchment back across the table.**

**"About twelve pages or so," Malcolm replied, sighing and flicking through the large book. "I just got to the section on meteoroids and asteroids last night before I fell asleep. I kept putting it off by going over my History of Magic notes from last week."**

**"And how is your essay going?"**

**Malcolm smiled. "Actually, really, really well," he said, brightly. "I have two feet done and I've got loads of notes for the rest of it. How about you?"**

**Scorpius shrugged, going for nonchalance. "I've just got a few more inches to go. I have to go back and change a few dates in my section about the Vampire Amnesty Act, but that shouldn't be too hard." One thing Scorpius had been most proud of during the past few weeks had his ability to keep up with his school work, despite his and Al's developing relationship. And that was a point; since Malcolm was here, it would make sense to tell him. After all, he'd told Al that he would, and Malcolm would hardly be shocked at the news.**

**Malcolm continued flicking through pages before stopping and leaning forward to read. "Did you know that the tail of a meteor is due to air friction?" Malcolm asked after a while, raising his eyebrows in what Scorpius could only assume was mock fascination. Scorpius grinned.**

**"Riveting," he replied, nodding with just as much enthusiasm. **He bit his lip and watched as Malcolm went back to his book**. How did one approach this sort of thing? He should have asked Al how he'd gone about it, but he supposed he had it slightly easier with Malcolm. He looked down at his parchment for a few moments, then put down his quill. "So," he began "I… um…"**

**Malcolm looked up. "Yeah?" he asked, looking at him expectantly.**

**Scorpius frowned. What was the best way to word this without it seeming utterly random and out-of-the-blue? "You remember a few months ago I told you about… well, about Al… and I?" Scorpius found himself lowering his voice, even though it technically didn't matter if people overheard.**

**Malcolm looked blank for a moment before a look of recognition flashed across his face. "Uh huh," he said, nodding. Scorpius grinned.**

**"Well, things have moved on a bit since then," he went on. "Al broke up with Joanna and now he and I are… well… we're seeing each other."**

**He wasn't entirely sure what to expect from Malcolm, and the small, silent pause that followed his admission would have been disheartening if it hadn't been promptly followed by a wide, friendly smile.**

**"That's really cool," Malcolm said, beaming. "Are happier now? You were kind of down about it, before, weren't you?"**

**Scorpius nodded. "Much happier. And I think Al is a lot happier than he's been in months, too. We're slowly trying to let people know, so I thought I should tell you, since you sort of already knew…"**

**"Who else have you told?" Malcolm asked, and Scorpius frowned slightly. He hadn't told anyone else, yet. Come to think of it… he didn't really have anyone else to tell.**

**"Well… Al has told the Slytherin team," he said. "And his sister, Lily, already knows."**

**"So you're telling your friends first, then?" Malcolm asked. "Makes sense, I guess."**

**Scorpius nodded. "Yeah," he replied, suddenly wondering if there were any others ****_he_**** could tell. He'd not really thought about it in terms of who told whom, but it did seem slightly unfair that the bulk of the work would fall to Al. Perhaps there was a way he could help with that.**

**"Well, I'm happy for you," Malcolm said, sounding genuinely pleased. Scorpius smiled, feeling another surge of satisfaction break over him. He continued smiling as Malcolm went back to his book, thankful that out of all the people he could have chosen to befriend, he'd befriended this one.**


	90. Chapter 90

Practice had once again taken centre stage. Their final game of the year was just one week away, and all reports suggested that Gryffindor had pulled their socks up this year. This meant they would have to up their own game, because doing anything other than winning was not an option. Losing to any team was unacceptable, but losing to Gryffindor would be the ultimate humiliation in Al's eyes. James would never let him live it down and Al did so love to see the look of anguish in his brother's eyes when they won.

Practice that day was long and arduous. Very rarely did his team mates ever complain about long hours or broom-sickness, but by the time Al called a stop to the session, the team were all quite vocal about it.

"I feel like someone's kicked me in the base of the spine with metal boots on," groaned Craig, slumping down onto the changing room bench. Alex grunted and nodded from across the room. Albus frowned.

"We have six days," he said, a little annoyed at their apparent lack of enthusiasm. "Mason, Thomas and Creevey have been training up and Lily told me the Beaters' new strategy is to focus on sending the Bludgers towards _us_, instead of simply out of the way. We need to be on the ball if we want to be sure of a win and winning is our _only_ option in this game."

Jeremiah stretched and Albus saw him wince as his back popped audibly. "Why are you never this crazy when we face the other Houses?"

"Because my brother isn't in the other Houses," Al stated, thinking that was a rather obvious answer. "And I'm not crazy. It's enthusiasm. Something you lot appear to be lacking."

He was met with a round of tired grunts, so he simply rolled his eyes and got changed, ignoring Michael's complaints about how stiff his knees were. They would understand if they had siblings in other Houses. It became a matter of pride, then; about more than just winning a game. It was about proving a point. Namely that he was way better than James at everything, but more specifically to prove that being sorted into Slytherin didn't make him any less a Potter – something James had teased him about mercilessly after his Sorting.

He packed his Quidditch uniform and leathers into his bag and slung it, and his Falcon, over his shoulder. "I expect to see you here at four o'clock tomorrow, guys. Okay?"

The team mumbled their assent so Al turned and made his way across the lawn to the castle.

The team had taken his news very well. He'd felt more than a little terrified addressing them as a group, but he'd decided one group confession was better than six individual ones. Surprisingly, the only one who had seemed in any way uncomfortable with the news was Ed, but the awkwardness had been more or less overcome by the simple yet rather annoyingly cumbersome reassurance that, no, Albus did not fancy him.

Scorpius had apparently told this Malcolm fellow, who, Albus realised with frown, he'd still not met. Not that he distrusted Scorpius, but Albus didn't even know who this Malcolm was. Scorpius' desire to keep them separate was somewhat bothersome, but Albus guessed he could respect that. And if he just _happened_ to bump into the two of them studying together at some point, then that really wasn't his fault, was it?

He was so lost in how one would go about accidentally bumping into someone that he actually did bump into someone, catching them in the head with his broom handle as they both rounded the same corner.

"Ow! Watch how you carry…"

Albus felt his stomach plummet as Joanna looked up and trailed off, mid-sentence. The air around them seemed to freeze solid and breathing suddenly seemed like much harder work than it should. "Uh… s-sorry…" Albus stuttered, not knowing what else to say. He'd not seen Joanna for weeks, having forced himself to stop looking across at the Gryffindor table every meal time, and coming so completely face-to-face with her again was proving painfully uncomfortable.

"No, that's… it's okay," Joanna replied, sounding every bit as awkward as Albus felt. "I should have looked where I was going."

There was a tense pause in which Albus wondered if running away was a viable option. He watched the way Joanna sucked her bottom lip into her mouth nervously. She always did that when she was nervous.

"So… you're playing Gryffindor on Monday, then?" she asked, obviously trying to sound as casual as possible. It wasn't working. "Looking forward to it?"

Al nodded. "Yeah… it's Craig and Ian's last ever game, so we're doing a lot of training and stuff…"

He knew Jo probably didn't care, but if she was going to mask her discomfort behind polite, inane conversation, than so was he.

There was another silence, then Joanna spoke again. "I, uh… I was just talking to Tracey Bullum, in Hufflepuff. She said she'd heard a rumour that you were going out with Scorpius. So… are you telling people, now?"

Al could feel his grip on his broom tighten, but he nodded, forcing a whimper back down his throat. "Yeah," he replied, feeling his throat dry up as he spoke. "We thought it was probably best."

Joanna nodded again and looked down, away from his eyes. Albus was almost relieved. "H-how are you?" he asked, not really sure he wanted to know the answer, but finding he had nothing else to ask.

"Alright, I guess," she said, shrugging. "Classes are going okay. Looking forward to summer. You?"

"Oh, well…" Al started, knowing that playing things down was the best option right now. "Okay. Looking forward to summer, too. And James' N.E. are in a couple of weeks. Looking forward to that, as well." He gave a small grin and was relieved when Joanna returned it.

"Well," she said, clearing her throat. "I have to… go and…"

Albus nodded. "Yeah. Me, too. It was..."

He paused and Joanna almost winced. They both knew the end of that sentence would be a lie, so Albus thought it best not to finish it. "See ya'," he said, giving her a small smile. She nodded and Albus made his way hastily down to the Common Room.

He could feel his legs shaking slightly as he sat down and his chest felt like someone had punched through it. He frowned and let his Falcon drop to the floor, staring into the empty fireplace in silence. It must have been a good half an hour before he felt the cushion beside him dip and he turned to see Scorpius smiling at him.

"How was practice?"

Albus simply looked at him for a while, gave a small, weak smile and moved to rest his head on Scorp's shoulder, not caring if there were people watching. After his run-in with Jo, he needed to feel close to Scorpius and the gentle pressure of Scorp's cheek on his head was more than enough.


	91. Chapter 91

Scorpius turned the page and wiped the back of his hand over his sweaty brow. He was not a fan of heat and the library, with its large, stained glass windows, was always one of the hottest parts of the castle in summer. He'd been studying for almost an hour and he had just over three more pages to read before he was done. Since it was coming to the end of term, Scorpius had taken a leaf out of Al's book for a change and had decided to take things easy. Well… easier. He still had a three foot essay to finish for Potions and several chapters of '_Shifting Magicks and Properties_' to read for Transfiguration, but those could wait for after dinner.

He'd had time for some private study this week, what with Al being busy with Quidditch practice. The final match was only a few days away and Scorpius found that he was actually rather looking forward to it. Not so much for the game itself, but for Al's enjoyment of it. It was quite alarmingly infectious. He knew how important winning this particular match was to Al, and not only because it was Simmons and Turnstable's last game; it was important because this was his brother's final year and his last chance to prove himself. Scorpius understood that and could hardly begrudge him the time he spent on the pitch instead of studying with him. Besides, he wasn't about to complain about having the space to get some _actual_ work done.

By the time Scorpius had finished his chapter it was gone five o'clock. The sun was still high and the day was still young and Scorpius could see little figures zipping through the air over by the Quidditch stands across the grounds. It would be nice if Al could apply himself to his studies the same way he applied himself to Quidditch. He'd be a genius. Scorpius sighed; at least Al had a long and glittering sports career ahead of him.

He closed his book and packed it back into his bag, making his way towards the doors. He was looking forward to having a shower, actually; the heat had made him sweat and his shirt was sticking uncomfortably to his back. He could only imagine how hot Al must be - dressed in his Quidditch uniform and leathers, sweating and panting, every muscle tense and strained…

He felt a burning in his cheeks and smirked, lowering his head to hide the blush from anyone in close enough proximity to see it.

He'd almost reached the doors when he heard a pair of raised voices making their way along the corridor. He recognised the first as Lily's straight away, but it wasn't until the two of them rounded the corner that Scorpius realised the second belonged to James.

"I swear to God, James, if you so much as give him a funny look I will hex your face off," Lily snapped, practically running to keep up with her brother's quick pace. Scorpius could see the angry looks on both their faces and he didn't have to be a Legilimens to know this was about him. Instinctively, he looked around for somewhere to hide, but he was in the middle of a busy library and hiding probably wasn't the most courageous of options. Anyway, James had now seen him and Scorpius suddenly felt like his feet had taken root.

Lily left her brother's side and ran ahead, reaching Scorpius first.

"I tried to stop him, but he's an idiot. I'm really sorry. Feel free to hex him. Seriously. I'll completely understand…"

"What the hell did you do to my brother?!" James demanded, seemingly not caring that he'd just walked into a _library_. His voice echoed off the walls and other students glanced up from their books to turn and look in their direction. Scorpius felt his cheeks burn for an entirely different reason.

"I didn't do anything to Al," he said, realising he sounded less convincing than he'd intended to. He didn't really feel like having an argument about this in front of an audience. He didn't feel like having an argument at all.

"He was happy with Jo, what did you do to him to make him think he needed to mess everything up?!"

"He didn't mess anything up, idiot," Lily snapped back, her own voice just as raised. Scorpius felt the heat in his cheeks intensify. "You had no problem with Al breaking up with Jo until you found out it was for a boy. Homophobe!"

"This has nothing to do with Malfoy being a boy," James replied, waving his hand wildly in Scorpius' direction. "This is about this posh, spoilt little rich brat thinking he can do anything he likes."

Scorpius frowned and opened his mouth to protest, but Lily jumped in before he could make a sound.

"That's so not what you're upset about. You just don't want people to think you're a shallow git. I know for a fact that if Al had been dating some rich _girl _you'd have no problem with it whatsoever. You'd probably try and talk him into marrying her so you could try and get some of her money."

"Oh, grow up, Lily. Why would–"

"_Don't_ tell me to grow up!!"

"You've heard mum talk about Malfoy's dad. You know what he was like."

Scorpius once again opened his mouth, feeling anger slowly taking over from embarrassment, but Lily was too quick.

"Stop trying to turn this into something it's not. We both know this is because Albus is dating a boy and it's dented your stupid macho pride."

"I don't…" James spluttered, looking like nothing in the world would make him happier than to lash out at his little sister. In fact, the only thing probably stopping him was the fact that she _was_ his little sister. "This isn't anything to do with you, anyway."

"And it's even less to do with you," Scorpius hissed, narrowing his eyes. Both Lily and James turned to him, looking quite stunned, then James frowned.

"Al is my brother," he said, indignantly. Scorpius sneered.

"And he's _my_ boyfriend."

The whole room was silent and all Scorpius could hear was the faint chatter coming from outside and the angry rush of blood in his ears. None of them moved for a few moments, then Lily turned to face James again.

"I really think you should stop being a prick now. You've embarrassed yourself enough."

James glared at her. "I'm just looking out for Al."

"I doubt Al will be very pleased when he hears about this," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "I suggest you go talk to Al first before you start mouthing off all over the place. See how he feels about things before you start accusing people of messing everything up for him."

Scorpius could see the awkwardness in James' eyes, even as he continued to glare at them, and he actually felt sorry for him. Lily was right, James was apparently an idiot, but Scorpius didn't doubt he'd had his brother's best interests at heart. He supposed, much like Al, this whole thing was very new to James and Scorpius couldn't really hold that against him. He still wanted to punch him, though.

"Well, anyway," James said, voice much calmer, now. "If I hear you've messed him around I'll hex you so hard you won't know what's hit you."

Scorpius was tempted to answer back, but thought better of it; a fight was the last thing he wanted or needed right now. Instead, he just raised an eyebrow and continued to stare at him until James turned and strode out of the hall.

Lily stuck her finger up at her brother's back before turning to face Scorpius and giving him an apologetic smile. "I'm really sorry about that," she said. "A group of girls were talking about it in the Common Room and he overheard. I probably should have sat him down and told him earlier."

Scorpius shrugged, feeling a little self-conscious now that the confrontation was over. He didn't know if James was actually intending to talk to Albus in any kind of civilised manner or if he'd go to him with the same accusations, but he felt it was in both his and Al's best interests to get there first. He looked up at Lily. "It's alright," he replied. "And thanks."

She smiled and Scorpius could see the other students slowly going back to their work.

"Um… I think I should and talk to Al," he said. "Before James does."

"Good idea." Lily nodded. "I'll try and talk some sense in James in the meantime."

Scorpius gave her a grateful smile before heading to the Quidditch Pitch.


	92. Chapter 92

Scorpius rarely visited Al down on the Quidditch grounds, having very little interest in facing the rest of the team, but in this instance he thought it safer not to wait until James got there first. Thankfully, as far as he could tell, James had decided to slink off up to Gryffindor Tower, which meant he didn't have to panic too much. Still, speaking to Al sooner rather than later seemed like a good idea.

He just hoped his presence wouldn't make things awkward for Al in front of his team mates.

The team were still tearing across the pitch in well-practiced formations, and Scorpius stood in the shadow of one of the Hufflepuff stands until practice seemed to come to an end. Scorpius made his way onto the pitch as Al landed and couldn't help but notice the surreptitious glances that passed between some of the team as he approached. Al, he noted, however, was smiling.

"Hey," Al said, wiping his sweaty forehead on the back of his hand. "Were you watching, then?"

Al looked so happy that Scorpius actually felt guilty. "Uh… no. Sorry," he said, glancing briefly over Al's shoulder at Edward, who appeared to be scrutinising him with quite some intensity. He cleared his throat and looked back at Al. "Can I talk to you alone for a minute?"

Al blinked at him and Scorpius could see the insecurity flash across his features. He'd seen that look before and he knew what it meant. He quickly gave Al a small, reassuring smile and it seemed to do the trick. Al nodded and turned to the team. "You lot go get changed. I'll be along in a minute."

They all nodded and made their way hastily to the changing rooms, very obviously glad to be getting away. As well as they'd _supposedly_ taken the news, it seemed to still be an area of some discomfort for them. Unfortunately, there was nothing either of them could do about it, and at least they hadn't turned against Al.

Al watched and waited until the last of them had disappeared into the changing room before turning back to Scorpius. "What's up?" he asked, obviously trying to sound as cheerful as possible; Scorpius could hear the underlying panic in his voice, though. He frowned.

"It's… it's about your brother," Scorpius said, not quite sure exactly how to phrase things. He could see the concern turn to confusion on Al's face and he sighed. "He knows."

Albus blinked again and when recognition didn't seem to be forthcoming, Scorpius went on. "About us. He knows."

Albus frowned and Scorpius could see anger already forming in his eyes. He hadn't even explained what had happened yet.

"What did he say?" he asked, his voice low. "Did he say something stupid? I swear to God…"

"He said…" Scorpius interrupted, wanting to keep Al as calm as possible. "He said… well, he said I'd… messed things up for you."

"WHAT?!" Al's voice echoed round the pitch and Scorpius winced slightly.

"I really don't think he meant it like that, though," he said quickly, holding up a hand to try and silence him. "He'd apparently overheard people talking about it and it obviously came as a shock to him."

"Right," Al grunted, marching off up to the castle without any hesitation. Scorpius quickly took off after him, grabbing him by the arm.

"Don't be an idiot, Al," he said, frowning and trying to slow him down. "What are you intending to do?"

"Punch him in his stupid nose for a start." Al seemed almost oblivious to the fact that Scorpius was hanging onto his arm and Scorpius rolled his eyes.

"And this will help matters in some way, will it?"

"Works for me."

"Getting into a fight will only reaffirm his belief that he's right," Scorpius went on, thinking maybe he should have applied a Leg-Locker curse before delivering the news. "Perhaps if you'd _told_ him, he wouldn't have been so upset."

"That's not the point," Al replied, still scowling. "He could have come and spoken to me, but he went and blamed it on you."

"So you're defending my honour?"

"Yes."

"By punching him in the nose?"

"Yes."

Scorpius frowned and let go of Al's arm, reaching up and grabbing a fistful of Al's hair instead. Al let out a loud shriek and nearly fell over backwards, wincing and pouting when Scorpius finally let go.

"Why did you do that?" he asked, reaching up to rub at his stinging scalp, sounding suddenly like a kicked puppy.

Scorpius sighed. "Because you're being stupid," he said, softly. "Look, James was an idiot, but I don't think getting into a fight is going to solve anything. And I don't want to be responsible for the two of you falling out, alright? If you go to him like this and punch him in the face, all you'll be doing is making things worse."

"He'd deserve it, though," Al said, indignantly.

"Well, perhaps you should have told him before it got to this stage." It was a simple statement, not an accusation, but Scorpius could see the look of hurt in Al's eyes. "I mean, he's your brother. He should have been first on your list."

"But he insulted you."

Scorpius smiled, feeling more than a little tingly that Albus seemed more upset about that than about anything else. "That's not your issue, though." He reached out and placed a hand on Al's arm. "But thank you."

Albus frowned, then sighed and Scorpius watched the way his shoulders sagged slightly. He looked down at the floor for a while, then took a deep breath. "Do I have to talk to him?" he asked, already sounding resigned. Scorpius grinned.

"Yes," he said, knowing that Albus would have done it, anyway, regardless of his say-so. "You should go and get changed, though. I'll see you at dinner?"

Al nodded and smiled back weakly and Scorpius moved in closer to kiss him on the cheek. "Sorry about pulling your hair," he said. "I'll make it up to you later."

He was pleased to see a grin spread across Al's face at that and when Al turned and made his way back towards the changing rooms, it was with a definitely spring in his step.


	93. Chapter 93

It had been four days. He'd purposefully left it to give himself time to simmer down, and because he knew how disappointed Scorpius would be if he just charged in, all guns blazing. Thankfully, he'd had Quidditch practice to keep his mind occupied and away from thoughts of murdering his brother slowly and painfully in front of the entire school. He couldn't deny, though, that walking up the stairs to Gryffindor Tower now was rekindling some of those desires and it was taking all his self control not to bound up the steps three at a time and pound angrily on the entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room.

'_Scorpius is right,_' he kept telling himself, repeating it over and over again in his head. '_Beating the crap out of him won't do anyone any good_… _even if it _would_ be immensely satisfying._'

Because Scorpius had a point. If he'd just _told_ James in the first place, then this whole thing probably wouldn't have even been necessary. He'd half hoped Lily would just tell James and save him he trouble, but he couldn't very well blame her for keeping quiet. He _had_ asked her to, after all. And besides, that would have been rather cowardly on his part. But even knowing Scorpius was right didn't make the task he was now facing seem any less infuriating… or James any less of a dick.

He finally reached the portrait of the Fat Lady and rolled his eyes when she sighed at him.

"How many times will I have to tell you, Mr. Potter, before it sinks into that stubborn skull of yours – only members of _Gryffindor_ House are to be permitted into the _Gryffindor_ Common Room."

Albus had been expecting it, really, but he wasn't in the mood for their usual back-and-forth today, so he simply raised a fist and banged repeatedly on the canvas.

"Where did you leave your manners, child?" the Fat Lady huffed, moving herself out of the way and crouching in a corner as Albus continued to knock. Thankfully, it wasn't too long before the portrait swung open and a Quidditch robe-cad Mark Davies stood in the doorway.

"Potter," he greeted Al with a nod. "Can I help you?"

Albus was tempted to drop the whole James things completely at the sight of his rival Seeker and try to see if he could wheedle any last minute tactics from him, but the sight of Lily bouncing down the stairs behind Davies made him shake himself.

"Is my brother there?" he asked, noticing the way Lily rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, James is here," Davies replied, then narrowed his eyes slightly. "Why?"

"Well, can I talk to him, please?" Al responded, as if Davies were simple. He probably thought Al was here to try and get tips for the match tomorrow. Honestly… did Davies think he'd be as obvious as that about it? Especially when he'd already sent Alex to spy on them the day before.

"Why do you want to talk to James?" Davies went on, and Albus was about to respond with some scathing remark about brainless Gryffindors when Lily cut in.

"I'll go get him," she said, sounding exasperated. "You wait outside."

Albus opened his mouth to thank her but found the portrait being slammed in his face instead, his nose mere inches from the Fat Lady's scowling face.

"Your parents would be ashamed if they knew what a barbarian their son had grown into. You're just lucky I'm a portrait, or it would be a severe hiding for you, mister."

Albus ignored her and moved to lean against the wall, tapping his foot impatiently as he waited for his brother to emerge. It seemed like hours before the portrait once again swung open, and when James finally stumbled out – having been pushed by Lily – he looked far from best pleased. Albus pushed himself away from the wall and straightened up - all the rage he'd managed to suppress over the past four days suddenly flooding back.

"What do you want?" James asked, scowling and Albus felt like he might explode.

"What do I want?!" he sputtered in disbelief. "You… how _dare_ you accuse Scorpius of messing my life up? You don't know anything about it! Scorpius is one of the best people I know, and you've _always_ been on mum's side. I just… I don't get how you can be so stupid all the bloody time. My life is brilliant right now, and even if it wasn't, Scorpius would be the last person on the list of messer-uppers."

Albus realised that wasn't really a word, but he was too furious to even care. All the well-practised speeches he'd prepared had flown out the window and now he was just going to keep shouting until James damn well apologised.

"I know you only think I've messed things up because Scorp is a boy, too. You wouldn't care if it had been any girl. You actually came to ask which girl it was not too long ago. You wouldn't have cared. It's just because he's a boy, isn't it? You think I'm messed up because I'm going out with a boy."

"Alb–"

"So not only am I less worthy because I'm in Slytherin, I'm now also going out with a boy. God, you are such a fucking arsehole…"

"Shut up, you idiot," James shouted, making Al stop, his mouth already formed in the shape of his next word.

"It's not because he's a boy," James said stubbornly, his brow creased. "Well… a bit. Maybe."

Albus went to talk about, but James carried on.

"It's just… he's a Malfoy, Al. You've heard what his dad was like. And it's not just mum who says he was a prick. Dad does, too."

"Scorpius isn't his dad, though," Al protested. "Just like I'm not dad. And you're not dad. Fucking hell, James… how pissed off would you be if someone wouldn't date you because their parents thought dad was a bastard at school?"

"That's different."

"How?" Al demanded. "How is it in any way different?"

James narrowed his eyes, but he looked like he was struggling for an answer now. "Because… well… because…"

"Because it would be a girl?"

"Oh, for fuck's sake, Al…"

"No. Admit it. You don't like it because Scorpius is a boy. You're a giant homophobe and you think that by going out with a guy I'm going to ruin my life. Admit it."

"I don't think that," James replied, his voice softening somewhat. "It's not… I mean… alright. It's kind of because he's a boy."

Albus scowled and crossed his arms angrily over his chest.

"But…" James went on. "It's not like that. I mean… boys and girls are… different, you know?"

Albus scoffed. He didn't need telling on that front. It had taken him long enough to get used to the idea, and he didn't need James to telling him.

"Boys are… stronger. He might want to… well, with a girl, you stick it in, right?" He demonstrated this by making a circle with the fingers on his left hand and poking his right index finger through it. Albus rolled his eyes. "There's one hole and one dick. But with two guys…"

Al's eyes widened as he realised what James was getting at. Then he couldn't help but chuckle, and it was at James' expense. "You think getting fucked by a man would make me less… what? _Manly_?"

In all honesty, the thought actual _sex_ sex with Scorpius hadn't really crossed his mind up until that moment, and even then he was only entertaining the notion for the benefit of winning this argument. He'd not really even considered the possibility of one day getting to that point, but that was not something he needed to linger on now. Scorpius seemed as content as him at the moment with handjobs and desperate rutting in deserted corridors.

James shrugged and looked down awkwardly at his shoes or a moment, before returning his gaze to Al. "I just want to make sure you're ok. That you don't get… you know… hurt or something."

"Hurt in the bum?" Albus chuckled, not even trying to hide the smirk on his face. The frowned reappeared on his brother's face.

"Knock it off, okay?" he said. "I'm just trying to look out for you. Believe it or not, and sometimes even I wonder why, but I love you. And mum and dad told me to look after you and Lils, so of course I'm gonna worry when my little brother is getting bum fucked by some Malfoy tosser."

This time it was Al's turn to shut up and look awkwardly down at the floor. He hadn't been expecting _that_. He supposed James was only trying to be a good big brother… even though he wasn't very good at it sometimes. When he looked up again he could see a grin on James' face and he gave a small smile, knowing that the shouting section of the discussion was over. He took a deep breath and moved to lean against the window ledge, shuffling to one side to make room for James as he did the same.

"So… reassure me, then," James said, sounding much calmer, now, giving Al a gentle prod in the ribs with his elbow.

Albus grinned. "Well, we're not bum fucking, as you so elegantly put it. And it's still very new and sort of… well… we've given each other hand-jobs and…"

"Whoa, whoa…" interrupted James, holding his hands up. "Don't need the details, thanks. Just get to the bit where you tell me he's a nice guy and wouldn't ever fuck you over so I don't need to go beat him up."

"Do you give Lily these talks?" Albus raised an eyebrow.

"Yes."

Al nodded and chuckled again. "Thought so. Anyway… he's great. He's been my best friend since my very first day at school. I can't imagine feeling as close to anyone else. I know… I know I hurt Joanna with this, and I feel really bad about that. But… I think the fact that I would do something like that proves how important Scorp is to me."

"And does this mean you fancy blokes, now?"

Albus raised his eyebrows, thinking about it for a moment, then shrugged. "I don't know. I don't think so. Just Scorpius, really."

There was a silence for a while, then James nodded and pushed himself up. "Alright. Well… good luck, then, I guess. As your older brother, I officially give you my blessing." He grinned and Albus punched him in the arm.

"You're a dick," he said, but he didn't mean it. "Get back to your Common Room and don't come bothering my boyfriend again."

James rolled his eyes and gave the password, stepping into the Common Room entrance. Albus headed back towards the stairs and was about to start his descent when James called his name.

"Hey, Al…"

Al turned round.

"See you tomorrow. When we _crush_ you in Quidditch!"

And with that the portrait swung closed, leaving Al fuming once again.


	94. Chapter 94

He'd felt it before, many times, and the physical sensation was so familiar he almost recognised each individual bump and ridge as if it were permanently imprinted on his brain, but when Al's fingers curled closed around the frantic, fluttering Snitch, he felt like he might explode.

He could feel Davies close behind him, practically hear his heart beat, but it was too late. Al had caught the Snitch – it was clutched tightly in his hands and the match was won.

"And Albus Potter has caught the Snitch," cried Mcinnock. "Slytherin win!"

The roar that erupted from the stands was almost deafening and Albus felt a wide smile spread across his face as he held the Snitch above his head and flew in victory circles around the pitch, rapidly flanked on all sides by his team. This match had been the important one; this was Craig and Ian's last ever game at Hogwarts, but more importantly, this was the last time James would get to see his team _crushed_ before he left school and Al wasn't about to deny him that. He turned towards the Gryffindor stands as he and the team flew past and picked James' scowling face out from the crowd. There was something just so intensely satisfying about that look and Al couldn't help but give his brother a small grin before speeding on.

They completed three laps before landing and there were already people spilling onto the green. Albus held the Snitch tightly in his hand and smiled as people rushed to congratulate him, accepting their praise in the only way he knew how – with a façade of modesty and a sense of growing inner smugness.

"That was so close," enthused Jake Nott as he bounced up and down excitedly on the balls of his feet. "Davies was only a foot behind you. I thought he was going to overtake you for a minute, but you totally beat him. That was amazing."

"Well, I was just lucky, really," Al replied, knowing exactly what they wanted to hear. Of course, it had been nothing to do with luck. Davies was clearly just not as good as he was, though he would never actually _say_ that.

"But he was _so close_," Nott went on, and Albus thought he might take off like a rocket at any second. "Didn't you ever think he would catch up at the last minute?"

Albus shrugged. "He could have, I guess. But he didn't, and that's all that matters, really. Here… wanna hold the Snitch?"

Nott's eyes widened and his mouth went slack as he took the offered Snitch from Al's out-stretched hand. Al hoped that would keep him quiet for a while… it was hard to preen when one was being bombarded with inane questions. Besides, he was looking out for a particular someone in the sea of adoring faces and talking to Nott was proving distracting.

It was Lily he saw first… or rather… her headband; the fuzzy pompoms bouncing around on the end of their springs, one Gryffindor and one Slytherin coloured. Scorpius followed along behind her and Albus was unable to keep the huge smile from spreading across his face.

"You were great," Lily said, beaming as she pushed to the front, not seeming to notice that she'd just elbowed poor Nott in the ribs. "That was a close one. James is going to be in a strop for _weeks_."

"I know." Al grinned. "The look on his face was priceless. And he was such a cocky dick about it yesterday, too."

"I'm going to owl mum and dad later. I'm sure they'll be highly amused."

"And proud, I'm sure," Scorpius said, and Albus felt his chest swell.

Lily nodded and waved her hand dismissively. "Yeah. And proud. Of course."

Albus turned to Scorpius and smiled, noticing the look of slight insecurity in Scorp's eyes as he looked around at the bustling crowd. Albus was glad he'd given the Snitch to Nott, because it meant he was free to reach out and give Scorp's arm a gentle squeeze. "You okay?" he asked, moving a little closer so he could lower his voice. Scorpius nodded and smiled, though Albus could tell he was unsure of how to act with him around so many people. The news of his and Scorp's relationship was slowly worming its way through the student body, but it still wasn't completely out in the open and Albus wasn't entirely sure he'd feel comfortable with _such_ a public display just yet. And judging by the look on Scorpius' face, neither would he.

"We're probably going to be having a party over by the lake in a bit," Al said. "Are you going to come?"

Scorpius looked around, as if checking to make sure he wouldn't be overheard, then nodded. "I'll come. But I want you to meet me over by the Ravenclaw stands after you've changed."

Al raised an eyebrow. "Why?" he asked, confused at the odd request. Scorpius just grinned.

"Just… meet me there. Okay?"

Albus was about to question him further, but suddenly realised they were still surrounded by hordes of students and thought better of it. He smiled and nodded. "Alright," he said, giving Scorp's arm one last squeeze before battling through the crowd and running to join his team mates in the changing rooms.

"Well done, Potter," Ian said as Al entered the room, giving him a firm slap on the back. "That was a pretty good game to go out on."

"Yeah," Craig said. "And it's really a good thing you caught it, because me and Ian would have _actually_ killed you if you'd missed."

Al chuckled and threw his Falcon into the corner before undressing and stepping under the shower. It was a rather good game, even by their standards and he was glad they'd given Craig and Ian something memorable to take away with them when they left. It was going to be odd next year, he thought, playing without them, but as Captain, he was going to make sure that they were replaced with nothing but the best. He just hoped _his_ last game would be as brilliant.

He smiled as he ducked his head under the jets and closed his eyes.

* * *

He still wasn't sure what Scorpius wanted, but he made his way over to the Ravenclaw stands after he'd finished dressing, as he'd promised. Scorpius was waiting for him. Albus grinned as he ducked in under the low wooden beam, noticing instantly that there was something different about Scorpius. Not physically - he still looked exactly the same; same pale skin, blond hair, fascinatingly pointed nose… but there was something different in his demeanour. Albus couldn't put a finger on it.

"Hey," he said, announcing himself and grinning when Scorpius jumped. Scorpius looked up and grinned back and Albus moved further in to lean casually against the wooden slats. "What's all this about, then?"

Scorpius looked down at his feet for a moment before looking up and taking a deep breath. "Well… I've been thinking, lately. About… about stuff. About us, really. And… I've thought for a while that I would like to… well… there's something I want to do. And since this is your last game of the year…"

Albus furrowed his brow in confusion, not quite sure what Scorpius was getting at. "I don't understand…" he said, and Scorpius rolled his eyes.

"Because you're an idiot."

Albus would have protested, but the fond smile on Scorp's face was all the reassurance he needed. He watched as Scorpius closed the space between them and the confusion quickly melted away as he felt Scorp's hands fumbling at his jeans.

"So, I've never done this before, okay?" Scorpius said, sounding both nervous and in a bit of a hurry. "So you'll need to let me know if I'm doing it right. Alright?"

Albus blinked and nodded wordlessly, feeling the blood rush to his cock almost instantly as his jeans and boxers were pulled down in one swift movement. He almost squeaked as he watched Scorpius lower himself to his knees and his thigh muscles tensed up so tight that he felt they might burst out through his skin. With shaking hands, he reached behind him to grip tightly at the slats, wanting to make sure he remained upright as he felt Scorpius' mouth close around the head of his cock.

It was intense. He'd only ever had one blowjob before, and this felt nothing like it. Or maybe it did. He couldn't remember… but it was amazing. Already. He was only about an inch into Scorp's mouth, but he could feel the warmth from his tongue and the wetness and it was all he could do to keep from whimpering as he felt Scorp slowly, very slow, take him further in. He could feel the roof of Scorp's mouth against his skin, and the tongue moving awkwardly under him. He winced when he felt teeth scrape against the vein and Scorpius mumbled something around his cock that Albus couldn't for the life of him decipher but it made Scorp's tongue move and Al felt the muscles in his legs quiver slightly.

He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, before looking down at Scorpius and seeing the concentration knitted on his brow. It would have been funny had he not been so amazingly distracted by the fact that Scorpius had started to suck on him. He couldn't help the squeak that burst from him and he brought a hand up to his mouth to clamp it tightly over his lips, his nostrils flaring as he continued to stare down at Scorp's blond head.

Scorpius mumbled again and Albus pressed his palm hard to his lips, feeling Scorp's tongue move up and down against him and the vibrations shoot straight down the length of his cock. He was perfectly willing to ignore it and let Scorpius continue, but Scorpius clearly was not satisfied with his lack of response. Before Albus could say '_ohmygodpleasedon'tstop_' Scorpius had moved back and looked up at him. Al removed the hand from his mouth and hissed as the cool air hit his wet skin, biting down hard on his lip at the loss of that lovely warm wetness.

"Am I doing it right?" Scorpius asked and Albus felt like hitting him. Why would he stop to ask that? Surely he could tell how much Al was enjoying it? Wasn't that much obvious? Fucking _hell_, there was no need to…

Al just nodded, though. He wasn't sure he trusted himself to try and talk just yet. Thankfully that was all Scorpius needed, before he moved forward again and Albus reached down and placed a hand nervously on the top of Scorp's head. This time, he felt the tongue licking at the head, flicking over the ridge and around it. He lifted his hand quickly from Scorp's head, lest he grab a fistful of his hair and hurt him or make him stop. It made sense somehow for him to instead grab his own hair and pull as he pushed his hips forward and groaned low in his throat. Right now he didn't care if somebody walked in. He didn't care if somebody set fire to his Falcon… all that seemed to matter was Scorpius was sucking his cock. Scorpius actually had his cock in his mouth. And there was _tongue_. God, was there tongue… moving in random circles and patterns over the head, over and over again until Al felt like his balls were about to explode.

"I… fuck… Scorp… move…" he sputtered, trying to pull his hips back, but Scorpius moved with him, sucking and licking in turn until Albus' entire body gave an involuntarily shudder and he came harder than he could remember coming into Scorp's mouth. He could feel his cheeks burn as Scorpius moved back and he wanted to cover his face with his hands as he watched the look of uncertainty appear on Scorp's face. He had a mouthful of come and was looking more than a little unsure about what to do with it. "Spit it out," Al said, feeling embarrassed and not wanting Scorpius to feel like he had to swallow. Joanna hadn't swallowed.

Scorpius turned his head and spat onto the grass several times, before wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. Albus closed his eyes and collapsed against the slats behind him, taking a moment to regain his breath. He felt like he'd just run a thousand miles, but it felt good. _He_ felt good.

He could hear Scorpius stand back up and he opened his eyes, giving Scorpius a small, breathless smile.

"Good?" Scorpius asked, grinning and Albus chuckled.

"Fucking brilliant," he said, nodding. "I… wow. You… thank you."

He pushed himself up and pulled Scorpius in to his chest, feeling slightly overwhelmed at the situation. He'd not been anticipating that… he'd never have thought to ask… well… he'd definitely have _thought_ to ask, but he never expected…

"Not wanting to be rude," said Scorpius. "But could we get to the party? I need a drink."

Albus snorted and moved back to tuck himself into his trousers. He didn't imagine giving a blowjob would leave ones mouth feeling particularly pleasant, so he wasn't about to delay Scorp's drink-getting if that's what he needed.

Besides, he thought as he made his way smugly across the lawn with Scorpius beside him, he'd have plenty of time to repay the favour before the night was out.


	95. Chapter 95

The smile that seemed to have permanently fixed itself to Al's face was almost starting to make his cheeks ache. There was a pleasant tingling in his groin still, almost two hours after the fact, and Al, despite having spent a great deal of that time talking to friends and fans, was all too aware of the fact that his eyes had barely left Scorpius the entire time. He felt altogether rather euphoric, if truth be told, and Quidditch was only part of the reason.

Scorpius, of course, remained out of the spotlight, and Albus wasn't about to force him to mingle if he didn't want to, but he couldn't deny that the urge to snog him senseless with a huge grin on his face wasn't a strong one. In fact, if it weren't for the dozens of eyes trained on him and the look of barely-concealed discomfort on Scorp's face, Al would have done just that.

"When will you start tryouts, then?" asked Abigail Hounslow, looking more than slightly eager.

"Probably not until late September," Al replied, shrugging. "Certainly not before we break up, anyway. Why? You thinking of trying out?"

Abigail nodded. "Actually, I was thinking of going up for Beater."

Albus raised an eyebrow. That surprised him. Abigail was a small, willow-y thing and Beaters tended to be more… well… just _more_.

"I was excellent at Rounders in primary school," she added quickly, and Albus realised the look on his face had probably been less than encouraging. "I'm stronger than I look, so don't think just because I'm not built that I can't give a Bludger a good smack. Because I can."

Albus nodded. "I believe you," he said quickly, sensing the defensiveness in her voice. "I'll look forward to seeing how you go, then."

"And I have a mean tennis serve," she went on, but Albus simply nodded and made his way back into the crowd, looking for a little more ego-stroking before the alcohol arrived and everyone got too drunk to do it properly. His gaze once again fell on Scorpius as he strolled through the crowd and he smiled, giving Scorpius a small wave and feeling his stomach flutter when the wave was returned. Scorp seemed to be doing very well, considering the fact that these loud, after-match parties weren't really his thing and Albus was glad when he saw Lily appear at Scorp's side with two cups of juice.

He wouldn't stay long; he'd spend another thirty minutes or so chatting with friends, then he'd take Scorpius somewhere. Even if just back to the dormitory… or maybe the Owlery… but that was always covered in bird droppings and perhaps not the most ideal of settings for what Albus had in mind. However vaguely. In fact, he didn't really have any set plan, but he knew it would involve something… well… something nice. Something for Scorpius. He'd figure it out.

He spent ten minutes with one bunch of over-excited girls, ten with various members of his House and the last ten trying to politely get rid of Nott as he made his way slowly over towards Scorpius.

"I'm sure you're very good at swerving," he said, nodding. "But I can't do you any favours, I'm afraid. You'll have to come to try-outs like everyone else."

"When ar–"

"September," Albus cried, taking the opportunity to slip into a small gap in the throng of people and once again lose Nott in the crowd.

"Having fun?" Scorpius asked, grinning and raising an eyebrow. Albus sighed, exasperated, but grinned back.

"There's no way he's getting on the team," he said, shaking his head.

"And what if he's the best among them?"

Al shrugged. "He's still not getting on."

Scorpius chuckled and Albus turned to him, confused.

"What?"

"Nothing," Scorpius said, smirking. "Just that I think Nott might have a crush on you."

Albus groaned and rolled his eyes. "I don't need any more boys crushing on me, thanks."

It took a second, but it was a second too late. His eyes widened and he turned to Scorpius so quickly he almost snapped his neck. "Oh, God… that didn't come out… I didn't mean it like that…"

Scorpius looked at him for a while before grinning again. "You're cute when you're flustered," he said, and Albus was unsure if this was some bizarre cover or if his words truly hadn't had the effect he'd imagined. He swallowed.

"I just meant… because getting here was, you know… hard for both of us… I didn't want to have to deal…" He trailed off, not exactly sure how to put into words exactly what he'd meant. It had been a joke, really, but one he'd blurted out without thinking and now he was kicking himself. "I meant… after everything, it would be typical for something else to come up, you know?"

Scorpius smiled. "It's alright," he said, nodding reassuringly. "I got it."

Albus felt his gut unclench and let out a relieved breath, smiling back. Merlin, but this wasn't a very good start, was it? He looked around briefly, then stepped closer to Scorpius and lowered his voice. "Can we go somewhere? Back to the dorm or something?"

Scorpius' smile faded somewhat. "Is everything alright?" he asked, and Albus felt slightly silly. Clearly this was not the smoothest of invites.

"Yeah," he replied, giving a wide smile. "Just… please? I promise I won't make any more stupid jokes." He grinned and was relieved to see Scorpius grin in return.

They made their way from the crowd and back across the lawn to the castle. Albus could feel butterflies already taking flight in his tummy and it was all he could do not to squeak out loud when he felt Scorpius accidentally bump into him on the stairs. It was almost more nerves than it was anything else. He was excited, yes, but with equal parts terror and insecurity, because he was about to offer something he didn't even know if he could do. Not just on a technique-based level, but on an emotional one. He wasn't sure he was ready.

Al opened the Common Room entrance and was glad to find it mostly empty, save for the odd Slytherin scattered about the room. The dormitory however, he was pleased to note, was completely empty. When Scorpius was inside, Albus closed the door and leaned against it for a while, wondering if locking it before offering an explanation would seem as creepy as he imagined it would. He decided against it for now. He took a deep breath and pushed himself away from the door, making his way over to his bed, pleased when Scorpius followed.

"So…" he started, before having to stop and swallow again. "I wanted… that is… you've been really patient with me, and that's really amazing, because you didn't have to be at all, and yet you were… and I…" He stopped again and frowned, clearing his throat and wondering why he was feeling so awkward. He'd never been this awkward with anyone before. He looked up, directly into Scorp's eyes. "I want to do something for you."

Scorpius licked his lips and Albus watched the way Scorp's cheeks turned a faint shade of pink. "What do you mean?" he asked, and Albus almost chuckled, because it was obvious Scorpius knew essentially what he was driving at.

"I want…" Albus went on, actually feeling his hands shake slightly as he spoke. "I want to… I want to touch you. Like… like you did… earlier. I just… I know _I_ want to, but I want _you_ to know I want to."

The blush on Scorp's cheeks deepened slightly, but his eyes softened. "You think I don't know?"

Albus shrugged and averted his eyes again, feeling particularly young and foolish at that moment. He looked at Scorp's shoes, watching them as Scorpius stepped towards him and placed a hand on Al's shoulder.

"You're amazingly silly," he said, and Albus frowned, looking up, only to have any protest die on his tongue when he caught the playful expression in Scorp's eyes.

"Of course I've been patient," Scorpius went on, as if it were obvious. "After waiting so long for you, I wasn't about to scare you away by pushing. I'm not that desperate," he said, grinning. "And I'm not going to push you now, either. You're definitely not ready to give me a blowjob, Al, I know that much. And it's not like you haven't touched me before, anyway, so…"

Albus could have let him go on speaking, but the urge to kiss him was clearly much stronger than his waning attention span, and, truth be told, Albus liked kissing him. He especially liked catching Scorpius off-guard, because that slight pause before he kissed back, that moment of genuine surprise was so un-Scorpius-like, so un-guarded that Albus felt closer to him in that moment than at any other time.

The hand on his shoulder gave a firm squeeze and Al moved his arm to wrap very purposefully around Scorp's waist, pulling him closer in a way that, he hoped, left very little to the imagination. He could feel Scorp's body stiffen slightly and the kiss was broken as Scorpius turned his head to the side. "Al…"

Albus moved his head to follow Scorp's lips and kissed him again, happy to find the kiss returned. "Please, Scorp?" he whispered, breaking just long enough to speak before going back to the kissing. "Let me... just… please?"

Scorpius mumbled something into the kiss, not even stopping long enough to speak, but Albus could feel Scorp's back muscles relax under his hand and could feel the gentle press of Scorp's torso against his own and he took it as a yes. Again, his mind started to race, and he closed his eyes tight as he reached down to Scorp's groin with his free hand and rubbed him awkwardly through his trousers. It wasn't the best of positions; they were standing too close and Al's wrist was bent at an awkward angle, but he was touching him… rubbing him firmly through the stiff fabric of Scorp's trousers and he could feel Scorp's body responding as he moved.

Their kissing became less controlled as Al thrilled at feeling Scorpius begin to move un-rhythmically against his hand. You dont really need to remind us that Al is still rubbing him. Eventually Albus' wrist started to ache and he moved back to fiddle clumsily with the fastenings on Scorp's trousers. His hands were shaking again and the buttons kept slipping through his sweaty fingers, but he eventually got them undone and pulled Scorp's trousers and boxers down with one movement, apologising as he caught Scorp's erection in the elastic of his underwear and made him shriek in a most un-dignified way.

"Fuck," Scorpius hissed, bringing a hand to his mouth and biting down on the ball of his thumb. "Careful."

Albus felt his face burn, and he wondered if he'd messed things up, but his thoughts were soon assuaged when Scorpius swooped in to kiss him again, pressing his cock into Al's hip and rubbing against him. It was strange, Al thought blearily through the haze of arousal floating in his brain, that this didn't feel at all strange. He'd imagined it would, because this was the first time he'd _seen_ Scorp's cock. The other times he'd touched it had been strictly hands-down-pants jobs, but this didn't feel weird or uncomfortable in the slightest. Not in the way he'd imagined, anyway.

He reached for Scorp's erection and took hold of it, breaking the kiss to look down at it as he stroked him. He felt Scorp's mouth move to his neck and ear, all tongue and lips and hot breath against his skin. He remembered when he'd touched himself in the mirror… imaging it was Scorpius he'd been touching. He'd imagined the feel of Scorp's cock in his hand, imagined the pulsing in his palm wasn't his own, and he'd watched… studied the way his hand had looked wrapped around a cock, and it had been exciting. Weird and new and strange, but exciting. And now he could _see_ his hand, once again, wrapped around a cock, stroking a cock, seeing the skin move as _he_ moved and watching as the head disappeared into his fist with every up-stroke.

He could feel Scorp's body tremble slightly, and he moved them awkwardly over to the bed and let Scorpius collapse onto it before shuffling backwards until he was sitting up against the headboard. Albus straddled one of Scorp's legs and kissed him again as he continued to stroke, nipping occasionally at his lips and moving down to kiss at Scorp's chin and jaw and neck and collarbones. A smile stretched across his face as Scorp's fingers slid frantically through his hair, and even the sting of knots being clumsily tugged on couldn't break it. He sucked on Scorp's throat, feeling the skin heat up in his mouth as he purposefully drew the blood to the surface and felt Scorpius' moan vibrate through his lips.

After a few moments, the muscle in Scorp's thigh twitched and tensed and Al moved back from Scorp's love-bitten throat to look into his panting, sweaty face. Scorpius was biting down on his own lip and looking down at his cock, at Al's hand on his cock, and he was about to come... Albus could see it… he could _feel_ it. He closed the distance between them again and kissed him once more as he squeezed and tugged on Scorp's dick and felt him shudder and come messily all over his fist.

Albus kept stroking him slowly, watching the way Scorpius' hips twitched and jerked weakly under him as the last of his orgasm was pulled from him, before he went limp against the headboard. Al waited for a moment, then removed himself from Scorp's leg, letting go of his softening cock and biting nervously on his own lip.

The silence lasted a few moments and Albus was about to gently prod Scorpius in the leg before Scorp lifted his head and grinned.

"Was that… okay?" Al asked, suddenly incredibly self-conscious.

Scorpius smiled and nodded wordlessly and Albus let out the breath he'd not realised he was holding. He smiled back and used his clean hand to run his fingers through his hair, brushing it away from his sweaty forehead.

"Good, because I didn't want you to think I didn't…"

"Shhh," Scorpius said, waving his hand vaguely in Al's direction and shaking his head. He patted the mattress next to him and Al took a few moments before moving to sit beside him. For a moment he wondered if he should try to explain himself again, but Scorp's head on his shoulder was all the silencing he needed. They'd have to clean up before the others came back, of course, but they had time. For now, though, this was just fine.

* * *

The few days before James' N.E. were impossibly exciting for Al. Of course, Lily also had her O., but it was less fun to mock her about it, and James always rose to the bait so well.

Albus would seek him out in the library and distract him he was studying, talking incessantly about how _amazing_ their last game was until James would shout at him to shut up, only to then be ejected from the library for being too loud. Albus found this all too amusing, until, of course, Scorpius told him off.

"It's immature and unfair," he'd said, frowning. "You found your O. hard enough and N.E. are much harder. Leave him alone or I won't help you study at all next year."

That had been enough to scare Al into behaving himself. Though he'd sulked about it when Scorp's back had been turned.

The rumours about his and Scorp's relationship had slowly spread throughout the school, and Albus couldn't help but notice the unusual looks some of the females would give him now as they passed; a sort of strange, coy smile, followed by occasional giggling and excited whispering amongst groups of friends.

He'd been most disturbed when Emily Tippit had approached him outside the Charms classroom, surrounded by a group of fifth-year girls.

"Hey, Al. We heard about you and Malfoy, by the way. We just wanted you to know that we think you're really brave, coming out to the whole school and stuff, and we wondered… if it wouldn't be too weird… well… if you and Malfoy would… _kiss_… in front of us. We think it would be really cute."

Al's answer had been a blink, followed by a scowl, and then a wordless slamming of the door in their collective faces.

He'd decided _against_ telling Scorpius about that little encounter.

As maddeningly inappropriate as it had been, however, it wasn't the worst. He'd noticed a distinct difference in how the boys and the girls had taken the news. Thankfully, most of them were quite accepting; there were a few, however, who didn't seem terribly thrilled. One group of fourth-year Hufflepuffs in particular.

It was Scorpius who took most of the flack, Al had observed, which infuriated him. He'd had a long talk with Scorpius late one night about how he was going to attack them if he caught them doing it again, but Scorpius had told him to ignore them and that getting worked up was only playing into their hands. Albus had agreed, but slipped a follicle-sealing potion into their pumpkin juice the next day, anyway.

Albus was quite surprised, actually. He'd been sure the rumour would elicit more of a response, but it seemed that people were either much more accepting than he'd expected, or were just doing most of their gossiping in private. Probably the latter, he thought. Either way, it suited him just fine. In fact, apart from the odd comment or jeer here and there, their last few weeks were relatively ordinary, and it wasn't long before the last day of term was upon them once again.

* * *

Albus flopped down into his seat as the Hogwarts Express jerked into life and chugged heavily out of the station. Packing had been a long and boring process, as it was every year, but for some reason it had seemed to take its toll on him more than it ever had before. Going home for the summer had always been one of Al's favourite things and waving goodbye to Hogwarts for six whole weeks had almost been the highlight of his year – after Christmas, of course. Now, though, watching the castle shrink into the skyline and vanish behind the mountains left a sense of melancholy settling uncomfortably in his chest. He sighed.

"The summer came sort of quickly, didn't it?" he asked, letting his head flop to one side and leaning against the window, the vibrations of the train thrumming in his ears. He waited for an answer, and when one didn't come he turned his eyes in Scorp's direction.

Scorpius was gazing out of the window, too, looking completely lost in thought as the countryside sped by in a mess of colour. Albus watched him for a while, then sighed again, going back to the window.

"You know, this time last year we were talking about holidays," he said. "You were going to France and I was just going to go down to the beach. Do you remember?"

He heard Scorpius' small breath and could tell he was smiling, without even looking.

"You going back this year, then?" he asked, turning to look at him again.

"Probably." Scorpius nodded. "Though I think I'd prefer a secret day at the beach, eating ice cream and candy floss, to be honest."

Albus grinned, feeling the weight on his chest lighten somewhat at Scorp's words. It was obvious why this train ride was different to other train rides, really, and the more Albus thought about not seeing Scorpius for six weeks, the more miserable he became. Their day at the beach the previous summer had been a complete fluke and the chances of them doing it again this year were pretty small. Their parents were not the most understanding people in the world… well, Scorpius' dad didn't seem to be, and Al _knew_ his mum wasn't. His dad had always been slightly more lenient about his and Scorp's friendship, but, well… things had changed rather a lot over the past year.

"Have you thought about what you're going to say to your mum and dad, yet?" Al asked, realising that this was something they'd still not discussed. Rather silly of them, really, but it had just never been an issue before now; not when they'd been tucked safely away on the other side of the country, anyway.

Scorpius looked at him blankly, not speaking for quite a few moments. Albus watched him for a while, then bit his lip, wondering if perhaps it had not been the best topic for discussion. It did seem rather daunting to bring it up as they were on their way home, after all. Thankfully, Scorpius didn't seem too put off.

"I can only really tell them the truth," he said, very matter-of-factly. "I think mother will be slightly more rational about it than father, but it's either that or keep it a secret."

Albus pursed his lips and looked down at the floor. Clearly Scorpius had thought about this more than he had. He felt slightly stupid for not even having entertained the notion of telling his parents when it was clearly a rather substantial piece of information. One he was pretty sure would make his parents most upset should they find out from, oh… say, James, which Albus would _not_ put past him.

"How about you?" Scorpius asked. "What will you say?"

Albus looked up at him and bit his lip, shrugging, feeling like a child who hadn't done his homework. "I… I don't know," he said, sheepishly, wincing slightly at Scorpius' exasperated eye-roll. "Mum will flip her lid, I know that much. She doesn't even like me being _friends_ with you. Dad's managed to calm her down and talk some sense into her about that over the years, but… well, this is entirely different. I don't even know how dad will react. He might go a bit mental, too. And Uncle _Ron_… bloody hell…"

"Why does your uncle need to find out?" Scorpius asked, raising an eyebrow. Albus couldn't help but chuckle.

"Nothing stays secret in our family for very long," he replied. "I remember the day Lils got her first period. I heard about it from _Hugo_ of all people. Mum was so excited she told everyone we knew. Practically one step away from sending the story in to the Prophet."

Scorpius made a face and bit his lip, obviously as keen on the idea of having news of their relationship spread throughout the entire Potter-Weasley family as Al was, himself. Al could only assume the Malfoys, being as traditional as they were, would want to keep the whole thing quiet. That is unless his mum and Scorp's dad ever came face to face – he doubted there'd be much quiet there.

"When do you think would be a good time to say something?" Albus asked, and Scorpius shrugged.

"I don't know. To be honest, I think it might actually be best to wait until the end of the holidays. They can stop us seeing each other during the summer, but they can't keep us out of school."

"I don't think I can do that, though," Al said. "Both Lily and James know and… well, apart from not trusting James not to blurt it out just to get me in trouble, I also… I wouldn't… I'd rather they know. I mean… otherwise they'll ask me questions about how me and Joanna are doing and I don't want… it would be really awkward."

Albus was surprised at himself. He'd never had any problems lying to his parents before – he'd done it loads of times – and yet here was Scorpius, actually giving him _permission_ to lie, and he didn't think he could.

He could see the smile on Scorp's face and wondered what he'd said. "What?" he asked, unsure exactly what had amused Scorpius so much. Scorpius just shook his head.

"Nothing. It was just nice to hear, that's all."

Al grinned and felt his cheeks heat up. It hadn't been just him to notice the uncharacteristic role-reversal, then. "So will you still wait until the end of summer?" he asked, wondering if his parents could be trusted not to get there before Scorpius did. He didn't even want to think about the consequences of _that_ meeting.

"We'll see," Scorpius replied, leaning back in his chair and giving Al a small smile. Albus smiled back and eventually returned his gaze to the window.

* * *

Albus felt his stomach lurch as the train finally pulled to a stop. He could see parents waiting eagerly on the platform and students already hastily jumping from the train and running to meet them. He turned to Scorpius and was almost relieved to see the same look of reluctance in his eyes as he knew were evident in his own. Albus opened his mouth to speak, but stopped when the compartment door flew open and Lily bounced in.

"I've seen mum and dad, they're over by the far end," she said, beaming and talking excitedly. "Oh, and Scorpius, your mum and dad are under the clock. Just so you know."

And with that, she bounced back out of the compartment and down the carriage.

Al let out a breath, smiling slightly and looking at Scorpius. Scorpius looked back and Albus suddenly felt like he'd been hit with a Leg-Locker curse. He didn't want to go home. He didn't want to even stand up. Scorpius remained as still as he did and it was only when the driver knocked on the compartment window ten minutes later that Albus realised they'd just been staring at each other the whole time.

"I suppose we should probably go," Scorpius said and Albus nodded, although it was the last thing he wanted to do at that moment. He knew they couldn't just sit here forever, though, so with a heavy sigh, he pushed himself to his feet and grabbed his trunk from the overhead compartment.

"In case our parents go crazy over the summer, should we have some sort of emergency meet up point?" Al asked, only half joking.

Scorpius grinned. "Where would you suggest?" he asked.

"The Golden Banner?"

They both chuckled and dragged their cases out into the corridor, where Albus suddenly stopped and kissed Scorpius soundly on the lips, pushing him gently up against the carriage wall.

"I'll write to you," he said, smiling as Scorpius squeezed his arm.

"Yes you will," Scorp replied, and Al kissed him again quickly before the driver rounded the corner and ushered them off the train. Al could see his parents waiting with James and Lily over by the exit and he gave them a wave before walking with Scorpius over to his parents. He caught the look of thinly veiled disdain on Mr. Malfoy's face, but simply smiled before giving Scorpius a pat on the back.

"See you soon," he said, before making his way over to his own family, turning back one more time and waving goodbye as they all made their way from the station.

The End


End file.
